Kwan K H Michael, Chan Hing Man, de Lafontaine Yves
Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment, Macdonald Campus of McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Drive, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada.
Environ Monit Assess. 2003 Oct-Nov;88(1-3):193-219. doi: 10.1023/a:1025517007605.
In order to evaluate the use of zebra mussels as biomonitors for metal bioavailability in the St. Lawrence River, we tested the hypothesis that the concentrations of 11 metals in zebra mussels vary significantly between sites along the river and that the season of collection and body size affect metal bioaccumulation. Mussels were collected at 14 sites during June 1996 and at monthly intervals at one site. Specimens were grouped in three size classes and their soft tissue was analyzed for As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. Significant size effects were found for Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. Spatial and seasonal variations in bioconcentration were significant for all metals. Spatial patterns in contamination that corresponded to known point sources of pollution or hydrology of the river were identified by principal component analysis. Seasonal variations can be attributed to the reproductive cycle of mussels and hydrological variability of the river. In comparison with values reported for zebra mussels in other contaminated sites in North America and Europe, levels of metal in the St. Lawrence River are low or intermediate. Our results show that when controlled for size and seasonal effects, zebra mussels represent a useful biomonitor for metal availability in the river and may offer an interesting alternative to native mussels and fish for such a role. Local contamination by some toxic metals is still a cause for concern in the St. Lawrence River.
为了评估斑马贻贝作为圣劳伦斯河金属生物可利用性生物监测器的用途，我们检验了以下假设：沿该河不同地点的斑马贻贝中11种金属的浓度存在显著差异，且采集季节和个体大小会影响金属的生物累积。1996年6月在14个地点采集了贻贝，并在一个地点每月定期采集。样本被分为三个大小等级，分析其软组织中的砷、钙、镉、铬、汞、锰、镍、铅、硒和锌。发现钙、镉、铬、铜、镍和锌存在显著的大小效应。所有金属的生物浓缩在空间和季节上都有显著变化。通过主成分分析确定了与已知污染点源或河流水文状况相对应的污染空间模式。季节变化可归因于贻贝的繁殖周期和河流的水文变化。与北美和欧洲其他受污染地点报道的斑马贻贝数值相比，圣劳伦斯河的金属含量较低或处于中等水平。我们的结果表明，在控制了大小和季节效应后，斑马贻贝是该河金属可利用性的有用生物监测器，并且可能为本地贻贝和鱼类在这一角色上提供一个有趣的替代选择。圣劳伦斯河某些有毒金属的局部污染仍然令人担忧。
