Distribution of Cd and As in organs and tissues of four marine mammal species stranded along the Italian coasts.
Concentrations of Cd and As were determined in organs and tissues (muscle, heart, kidney, lung and liver) of four cetacean species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Truncatus truncatus, Grampus griseus and Ziphius cavirostris) stranded along the Italian coasts during the period 2000-2009. Significant differences were found between Cd concentrations in the different analysed tissues. Particularly, the kidney shows the highest concentrations of Cd in all analysed specimens, followed by the liver. No systematic or statistically significant difference in As concentrations was found in the analysed tissues. Considerable differences of Cd and As values in samples from different geographical areas (Sicily Channel, Adriatic Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea) were found, with the highest values measured in samples from the Sicily Channel. This basically suggests that anthropogenic and natural sources significantly affect Cd and As content in cetaceans.
CNR- Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Via del Mare 3, Capo Granitola 91021, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy. antonio.bellante@iamc.cnr.it
Antonio
A
Bellante
Mario
M
Sprovieri
Giuseppa
G
Buscaino
Gaspare
G
Buffa
Vincenzo
V
Di Stefano
Daniela Salvagio
DS
Manta
Marco
M
Barra
Francesco
F
Filiciotto
Angelo
A
Bonanno
Salvatore
S
Mazzola
D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002591:Cetacea / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007558:Italy; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D001151:Arsenic