A large scale survey of trace metal levels in coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean basin using caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

José Benedicto; Bruno Andral; Concepción Martínez-Gómez; Carlos Guitart; Salud Deudero; Alessandro Cento; Alfonso Scarpato; Josep Caixach; Samir Benbrahim; Lassaad Chouba; Mostefa Boulahdid; François Galgani

doi:10.1039/C0EM00725K

A large scale survey of trace metal levels in coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean basin using caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)†

José Benedicto,*^a Bruno Andral,^b Concepción Martínez-Gómez,^a Carlos Guitart,^a Salud Deudero,^ac Alessandro Cento,^d Alfonso Scarpato,^e Josep Caixach,^f Samir Benbrahim,^g Lassaad Chouba,^h Mostefa Boulahdidⁱ and François Galgani^b

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* Corresponding authors

^a Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, c/Varadero 1, San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
E-mail: carlos.guitart@mu.ieo.es, jose.benedicto@mu.ieo.es
Fax: +34 968 108500
Tel: +34 968180500

^b IFREMER, Laboratoire Environment Resource Provence Azur Corse, BP 330, La Seyne sur Mer Cedex, France

^c Laboratorio de Biología Marina and GOI-IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Guillén Colom, Campus Universitari, Ctra. de Valldemossa, km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

^d Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico della Sicilia (PSTS), Z.I. Blocco Palma, s.s. G. Agnelli Angolo, Catania, Sicilia, Italy

^e Instituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Via di Casalotti 300, Rome, Italy

^f Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA-CSIC), c/Jordi Girona 18-26, Barcelona, Spain

^g Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH), 2 rue de Tiznit, Casablanca, Morocco

^h Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM), 28, rue du 2 mars 1934, Salammbô, Tunisia

ⁱ Institut National des Sciences de la Mer et des l'Aménagement du littoral (ISMAL), Bois des cars, BP 19, Alger, Algeria

Abstract

A large scale study of trace metal contamination (Hg, Cd, Pb and Ni) by means of caged mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis was undertaken along the coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean Sea within the context of the MYTILOS project. Individual mussels from an homogeneous population (shell size 50 ± 5 mm) obtained from an aquaculture farm were consecutively caged and deployed at 123 sites located in the Alborán, North-Western, South-Western and Tyrrhenian sub-basins for 12 weeks (April–July) in 2004, 2005 and 2006. After cage recoveries, both the metal content in the whole mussel tissue and the allometric parameters were measured. Statistical analysis of the datasets showed significant differences in concentrations between sub-basins for some metals and mussel condition index (CI). Linear regression models coupled to the CI were revisited for the data adjustment of certain trace metals (Hg, Cd and Ni), and four level categories were statistically derived to facilitate interregional comparison. Seawater masses surrounding coastal areas impacted by run-off from land mineralised coasts and industrial activities displayed the highest concentration ranges (Hg: 0.15–0.31 mg kg⁻¹ dw; Cd: 1.97–2.11; Ni: 2.18–3.20 and Pb: 3.1–3.8), although the levels obtained in most of the sites fitted within moderate or low categories, and they could be considered as baseline concentrations. However, few sites considered little-influenced by human activities, at present, showed high concentrations of Cd, Ni and Pb, which constitute new areas of concern. Overall, the use of active biomonitoring (ABM) approach allowed to investigate trace metal contamination in order to support policy makers in establishing regional strategies (particularly, with regard to the European Marine Strategy Directive).

Journal of Environmental Monitoring

A large scale survey of trace metal levels in coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean basin using caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)†

Abstract

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A large scale survey of trace metal levels in coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean basin using caged mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)

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