[Demonstration of silver and lead contamination of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) in French coastal waters. Microanalytical study by secondary ion emission].

The Oyster Crassostrea gigas and the marine Mussel Mytilus edulis collected from French coastal waters of the Channel, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea were shown to contain silver and lead. For the Oysters, the highest silver and lead levels were detected in the Marennes Oléron samples; for the Mussels, the highest silver levels were detected in the Seine Bay samples and the lead ones in the Boulogne samples. Target organs for uptake, storage and excretion, including macrophage haemocytes, were established. Ecotoxicological effects of both heavy metals are evaluated.