TITLE:
Differences in Trace Element Content between Non-Indigenous Farmed and Invasive Bivalve Mollusks of the South African Coast
AUTHORS:
Dmitry F. Pavlov, Jacques Bezuidenhout, Marina V. Frontasyeva, Zoya I. Goryainova
KEYWORDS:
Invasive Bivalve Mollusks, Chemical Composition, Crassostrea gigas, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Aquaculture, Water Quality, South Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Analytical Chemistry,
Vol.6 No.11,
October
21,
2015
ABSTRACT: contents of 23 trace elements (Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr,
Mo, Ag, Sb, I, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Hf, Ta) were quantitatively determined in
soft tissues and shells of mass non-indigenous bivalve mussels—farmed Pacific
oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and
farmed and wild invasive Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) at the Atlantic coast of South Africa. The
study revealed that the contents of the majority of elements in the soft
tissues of both species were higher than those in the shells. The tissues of
wild invasive Mediterranean mussels contain higher levels of a range of trace
elements comparing to farmed mussels. The tissues of Pacific oysters contain
much higher levels of almost all elements studied compared to the tissues of
Mediterranean mussels. Higher content of zinc in the mussels and oysters from
Saldanha Bay may evidence anthropogenic pollution of the bay’s ecosystem by
this metal, which necessitates continued monitoring of levels of potentially
toxic metals. Both alien species, and especially Pacific oysters, may serve as
reliable biomonitors for trace elements in marine ecosystems. Both species are
rich in essential elements and provide nutritionally-valuable seafoods.