Effects of salinity, temperature and food type on the uptake and elimination rates of cd, cr, and zn in the asiatic clamcorbicula fluminea

Abstract

− Laboratory radiotracer experiments were conducted to determine assimilation efficiencies (AE) from ingested algal food and oxic sediment particles, uptake rates from the dissolved phase, and the efflux rates of Cd, Cr and Zn in the Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea. Among three elements, AE from both algal and sediment food was greatest for Cd, followed by Zn and Cr. The AEs of tested elements from algal food (Phaeodactylum tricornutum) were consistently higher than those from sediments at a given salinity and temperature. The influence of salinity (0, 4 and 8 psu) and temperature (5, 13 and 21 o C) on the metal AEs was not evident for most tested elements, except Cd AEs from sediment. The rate constant of metal uptake from the dissolved phase (k u ) was greatest for Cd, followed by Zn and Cr in freshwater media. However, in saline water, the k u of Zn were greater than those of Cd. The influx rate of all tested metals increased with temperature. The efflux rate constant was greatest for Cr (0.02 d ). The efflux rate constant for Zn in clam tissues depurated in 0 psu (0.017 d −1 ) was faster than that in 8 psu (0.010 d −1 ). Overall results showed that the variation of salinity and temperature in estuarine systems can considerably influence the metal bioaccumulation potential in the estuarine clam C. fluminea. The relatively high Cd accumulation capacity of C. fluminea characterized by the high AE, high dissolved influx rate and low efflux rate, suggested that this clam species can be used as an efficient biomonitor for the Cd contamination in freshwater and estuarine environments.

The impact of sediment bioturbation by secondary organisms on metal bioavailability, bioaccumulation and toxicity to target organisms in benthic bioassays: Implications for sediment quality assessment

“…There were strong relationships between tissue metal concentrations and dissolved metal concentrations in the overlying waters for cadmium (R 2 = 0.79), chromium (R 2 = 0.84), lead (R 2 = 0.72) and zinc (R 2 = 0.88) and tangible relationships for copper (R 2 = 0.48), nickel (R 2 = 0.62), but generally weaker relationships between tissue metal concentrations and AEM ( Figures S5 and S6). Lee and Lee (2005) found similar strong relationships between chromium assimilation by the Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea from the dissolved phase although they observed weaker correlations for particulate phase assimilation. …”

Investigations of temperature and pH variations on metal trophic transfer in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

“…These different studies have shown that biological, physiological, and ecological factors can importantly influence AE of trace metals. Nevertheless, the trophic transfer of metals can also be impacted by environmental variables (abiotic factors) as it has been shown in marine invertebrates (Lee and Lee, 2005) or in freshwater fish (Van Campenhout et al 2007). Surprisingly, such an influence, to the best of our knowledge, has been not documented in the literature on marine fish.…”

Biodynamic modelling of the accumulation of Ag, Cd and Zn by the deposit-feeding polychaete Nereis diversicolor: Inter-population variability and a generalised predictive model

“…As increased temperature may affect both influx and efflux rates of metals, net bioaccumulation may or may not increase (Luoma, 1983). Increase in temperature resulted in increased uptake rates of dissolved Cd, Cr and Zn in the clam, Corbicula fluminea, and also their assimilation efficiency of Cd from sediment (Lee and Lee, 2005). Heugens et al (2003) reported enhanced Cd uptake rate at elevated temperature as well as some alterations in Cd elimination in Daphnia magna.…”