title: Heavy metals in the clam Megapitaria squalida collected from wild and phosphorite mine-impacted sites in Baja California, Mexico: considerations for human health effects.
abstract: The "chocolate clam" Megapitaria squalida, is widely consumed by the population of several localities along the Pacific coast. Clams collected from seven stations in Bahía de la Paz, a bay within the Gulf of California, before and after the summer rainy season were analyzed for Pb, Ni, Cd, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe. The location of the sampling sites significantly affected the concentration of metals in clam tissues, but not in relation to the proximity to alleged contaminated sites. Clams from a site close to a phosphate mine had the highest levels of Pb, but only in April, and the highest concentrations of Cd were recorded in clams collected in areas with no anthropogenic activities. Clams from sites considered clean had higher levels of Cd, Fe, Zn, and Mn. The mean concentrations (microg/g dry weight) ranged from 0.1 to 7.8 for Pb, from 1.9 to 8.8 for Ni, from 1.5 to 11.1 for Cd, from 2.5 to 14.1 for Mn, from 47.2 to 64.6 for Zn, from 5.4 to 18.7 for Cu, and from 154 to 558 for Fe. Collecting clams in sites apparently pristine is no guarantee that metals will be in low concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Mar Bermejo 195, Playa Palo Santa Rita, La Paz, B.C.S. 23090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Baudilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monsalvo-Spencer
authors.forename: Ticul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Castañeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D008800:Mexico; D008906:Mining; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical