Study of the content of cadmium, chromium and lead in bivalve molluscs of the Pacific Ocean (Maule Region, Chile)
Introduction
During the recent years particular attention has been given to the presence of heavy metals in coastal areas, where these are deposited by a large number of pollutants from industrial and domestic waste generated especially by the big cities (Lee and Stuebing, 1990, Real et al., 1990; Uthe et al., 1991; Gumgum et al., 1994, Marcovecchio, 2004, UNEP, 1993).
Recent researches related to heavy metal pollution in aquatic systems have focused on the use of biological indicators, as these have the capacity to accumulate pollutants that are substances in the environment, providing the chemical analysis of an indirect estimation of the concentration of such substances in their immediate environment (Cooper et al., 1983, Hellawell, 1989, Leonzio et al., 1981, Prina et al., 1982, Shaikh and Smith, 1984, Yap et al., 2004).
Unlike organic pollutants, heavy metals cannot degrade biologically or chemically in nature and contain compounds that can be altered, but still toxic metals and their stability allow them to be transferred to considerable distances, which can bioaccumulate aquatic organisms in the food chain and pose a threat to human health when used as food (Chiang, 1998, Gobert et al., 1992, Mabesa et al., 1985, Sivaperumal et al., 2007, Wang, 2001; Tapia et al., 2009).
At present, considerable evidence exists to show that certain heavy metals are a threat to human health when consumed even at trace levels (Calabrese et al., 1985, Mas and Azcue, 1993), therefore special attention should be paid to the concentrations of these metals in food from areas impacted by human activity. Currently the regulation of the European Union (E.C., 2006) has included 3 metals, lead, cadmium and mercury, as dangerous for human consumption, whilst the USFDA has considered the elements, chromium, arsenic and nickel as dangerous (USFDA, 1993a, USFDA, 1993b, USFDA, 1993c).
In Chile, there are several areas exposed to the toxic effects of certain chemical compounds (Chuecas, 1989; Barra et al., 2004), which includes the Maule Region, which has reached a major urban development, industrial, and agro-forestry (Rebolledo, 1987), which has caused an increase in the volumes of waste that are discharged directly into water bodies near the region where chemical pollutants cause a significant deterioration of the aquatic environment due to their cumulative effects (Tapia, 1997; Bruhn, Villablanca, Campos, Basualto & Tapia, 1997). The potential for bioaccumulation of some heavy metals by agencies that are part of the biota depends on, amongst other factors, the chemical form of the metal and the physicochemical conditions of the aquatic environment (Basualto et al., 2006).
In this research, the concentrations of cadmium, chromium and lead in bivalves Ameghinomya antiqua, Aulacomya atra and Mytilus chilensis from the coastal area of the Maule Region, which are widely consumed by the population were studied. The concentrations of metals in the 3 species of bivalves may diagnose the degree of contamination of the metals in the coastal zone, as well to detect the changes in their concentrations in different species of molluscs are considered. Moreover, the results may be compared with those of similar studies by other authors and with the existing international regulations related to the content of heavy metals in bivalves for human consumption.
Section snippets
Study area
Considering the watersheds of rivers Mataquito and Maule, located north and south of the Maule Region, 3 areas were selected for sample collection: Iloca, Constitución and Pelluhue, respectively, in the north, centre and south of the region. Fig. 1 represents the geographical location of the places considered.
Sample taking
The sampling was carried out in the coastal areas of Iloca, Constitución and Pelluhue in Maule Region, Chile, in the years 2005 and 2006. The samples were collected and purchased from the
Cadmium content
According to the concentrations of cadmium recorded in the 3 species of molluscs from different sites (Table 1), the levels are within the ranges found by other authors (Eisler, 1981, Campanella et al., 2001, Hernández et al., 2005; see table 4). It is very important to outstand the influence on the food and the possible toxicological effects of concentrations of cadmium found in different species.
The non-essentiality and toxicity of cadmium require knowledge of the levels of provisional
Conclusion
This study provides information related to the concentration of cadmium, chromium and lead in the 3 species of bivalves that are highly consumed in the coast of Region del Maule, located in the zone centre of Chile. Based on the results obtained, it was noted that the concentrations of cadmium and chromium are within the ranges found by other authors and by the regulations by the FAO/WHO for cadmium and chromium. However, it is also noted that the high concentration of lead detected in the 3
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Grant Funding Programme, Directorate of Research and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry of Natural Resources, Universidad de Talca, Chile.
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