Use of limpets as alternative to mussels in metal pollution monitoring; application in the Canary Islands. (1st September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sánchez-Marín, Paula; Schultze, Fernando; Besada, Victoria
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 308(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09-01
• Subjects: Patella -- Mytilus -- Bioaccumulation -- Biomonitoring; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119614
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Metal pollution monitoring programs make use of organisms, such as mussels, as biomonitors to evaluate and compare the metal pollution status of coastal areas worldwide. Despite the widespread distribution of mussels of the genus Mytilus, there are places where these organisms are absent or where their abundance is insufficient for biomonitoring purposes, such as in the Canary Islands (Spain). This study considers the use of limpets of the genus Patella as alternative/complementary species in metal pollution monitoring, and compares the bioaccumulation capacity of mussels and limpets collected simultaneously during several sampling campaigns at 11 sampling sites along the continental Spanish Atlantic coastline. Results show that there are some differences in bioaccumulation capacity between limpets and mussels, with limpets showing in average higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, As and Cu, and lower concentrations of Zn, while concentrations of Hg and Pb were similar for both types of organisms. Significant correlations between metal concentration in mussels and limpets were found for most metals, with the notable exception of Cd, that showed a very different bioaccumulation pattern in both types of organisms. Limpet to mussel metal concentration ratios were derived that can be used to compare the results of metal biomonitoring using either limpets or mussels, and limpets were successfully used in a monitoring survey in the Canary Islands. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Limpets bioaccumulate more Cd and less Zn than mussels. Hg, Pb, Cr, Ni and Zn concentrations in limpets correlate with those of mussels. Cd bioaccumulation shows a very different pattern in limpets and mussels. Limpets can be used as substitutes for mussels in metal biomonitoring. Limpet to mussel ratios allow multispecies assessment for all metals but Cd.