Distribution of metals and accumulation of lead by different tissues in the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis (L.)

Abstract

The concentrations of several metals in different body tissues of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis (L.), collected from an uncontaminated environment, were measured by electron probe X‐ray microanalysis. Significant concentrations of the potentially toxic elements manganese, titanium, and copper were detected in all tissues, although they were not detectable in the water sampled at collection; bioaccumulation is thus evidenced. Highest concentrations of manganese and copper were present in the shell, while highest concentrations of titanium were present in the head and foot. Experimental snails were continuously exposed to lead chloride (lead at 5 ppm) for an experimental period of 3 weeks. Both elements were accumulated to different extents by the snail tissues but with high concentrations again in the head of the animals, and chloride also in the visceral hump. No significant alterations in the distribution of the other elements measured were observed in the lead chloride‐exposed animals.

Heavy Metal Content in Water of Starzyc Lake (North-West Poland)

“…The development of a business man as well as growing to a transformative processes environment adversely affect the quality of the natural environment, including on the aquatic environment [1][2][3][4][5][16][17][18][19][20][21][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70].…”

Heavy Metals in the Waters of Dąbie Lake (West-Pomeranian Voievodship, North-West Poland)

“…Many of these metals tend to remain in the ecosystem and eventually move from one compartment to the other within the food chain [19,20,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60]. Food chain contamination by heavy metals has become a burning issue in recent years because of their potential accumulation in biosystems through contaminated water, soil, sediment and air [19,20,[56][57][58][59][60].…”

“…They are partly taken in by water organisms into their cells and tissues and partly absorbed by inorganic particles in suspension [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][73][74][75]. Organic matter, released into water after the decay of bacteria, plants and animals containing a certain amount of heavy metals absorbed earlier can additionally absorb more metals from the water [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]…”

“…Organic matter, released into water after the decay of bacteria, plants and animals containing a certain amount of heavy metals absorbed earlier can additionally absorb more metals from the water [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]20,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][73][74][75]. With time organic and inorganic suspension falls down forming bottom sediments [9][10]…”

Heavy Metal Content in Water of Bhavan’s College Lake of Andheri, Mumbai

“…Fewer studies have examined the physiological and biochemical effects of prolonged Pb exposure on freshwater invertebrates, but reports of Pb toxicity evaluated by mortality are plentiful. Exceptions include reports of behavioral effects in pulmonate snails [46] possibly linked directly to Pbinduced modifications of neuron membrane properties [47,48].…”