title: Bivalve mollusks in metal pollution studies: from bioaccumulation to biomonitoring.
abstract: Contemporary environmental challenges have emphasized the need to critically assess the use of bivalve mollusks in chemical monitoring (identification and quantification of pollutants) and biomonitoring (estimation of environmental quality). Many authors, however, have considered these approaches within a single context, i.e., as a means of chemical (e.g. metal) monitoring. Bivalves are able to accumulate substantial amounts of metals from ambient water, but evidence for the drastic effects of accumulated metals (e.g. as a TBT-induced shell deformation and imposex) on the health of bivalves has not been documented. Metal bioaccumulation is a key tool in biomonitoring; bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of various metals in relation to bivalves are described in some detail including the development of biodynamic metal bioaccumulation model. Measuring metal in the whole-body or the tissue of bivalves themselves does not accurately represent true contamination levels in the environment; these data are critical for our understanding of contaminant trends at sampling sites. Only rarely has metal bioaccumulation been considered in combination with data on metal concentrations in parts of the ecosystem, observation of biomarkers and environmental parameters. Sclerochemistry is in its infancy and cannot be reliably used to provide insights into the pollution history recorded in shells. Alteration processes and mineral crystallization on the inner shell surface are presented here as a perspective tool for environmental studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute des sciences de la mer de Rimouski (ISMER), Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, 310, allée des Ursulines, QC, Canada G5L 3A1. michael.zuykov@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuykov
authors.forename: Emilien
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: David A T
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Harper
mesh_terms: D060105:Animal Shells / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Biomonitoring; Bivalve mollusks; Chemical monitoring; Metals