title: The influence of ph and waterborne metals on egg fertilization of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), the oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus).
abstract: This study evaluated the combined effect of pH and metals on the egg fertilization process of two estuarine species, the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), the oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and a marine species, the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus). The success of egg fertilization was examined after exposure of gametes to sediment extracts of various degrees of contamination at pH 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0. At the pH levels from 6.5 to 8.0, the egg fertilization of the different species demonstrated different sensitivity to metal and/or acidic exposure. In all species, the results revealed that egg fertilization was almost completely inhibited at pH 6.0. The egg fertilization of the blue mussel M. edulis was the least sensitive to the exposure while that of the sea urchin P. lividus demonstrated a concentration-dependent response to the pH levels from 6.5 to 8.0. The results of this study revealed that acidity increased the concentration of several metal ions (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) but reduced its availability to the organisms, probably related to the reactivity of the ions with most non-metals or to the competition among metals and other waterborne constituents.
authors.affiliation: UNESCO/UNITWIN WiCop, Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Cadiz, Poligono Río San Pedro, s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.affiliation: Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydrobiology, 7 Paruir Sevak, Yerevan, 0014, Armenia.
authors.forename: Bardukh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gabrielyan
authors.affiliation: UNESCO/UNITWIN WiCop, Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Cadiz, Poligono Río San Pedro, s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. alkhosrov@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khosrovyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Tafira, Las Palmas, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luque
authors.affiliation: UNESCO/UNITWIN WiCop, Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Cadiz, Poligono Río San Pedro, s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: T Angel
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Del Valls
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049896:Crassostrea / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects*; D047328:Paracentrotus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Acidification; Egg fertilization; Metal; Mussel; Oyster; Sea urchin; Sediment elutriate