Biomonitoring of Ni and V Contamination Using Oysters (Saccostrea cucullata) at Lengeh Port,Persian Gulf,Iran

Vanadium and nickel are two important indicators of oil pollution. Lengthy exposure to these elements causes serious harmful effects in human health, different harsh allergies being examples. The accumulation of two heavy metals (Ni and V) in sediment and the soft and hard tissues of Saccostrea cucullata were analyzed at three sampling sites along the coast of Lengeh Port, Persian Gulf. Results indicated at all the sampling sites; the Ni levels in soft tissues (STs) were higher than in the shells (SHs) and sediments, whereas the V levels were higher in the sediments. In addition, meaningful relationship (r = 0.65; p < 0.05) was observed across Ni levels in ST of S. cucullata and sediment, while for V concentrations a strong relationship (r = 0.83; p < 0.01) was found in SH of S. cucullata and sediment. This indicates that ST and SH of oyster can be considered as a biomonitoring agent for Ni and V levels, in coastal waters, respectively. The exposure of the consumer is compared directly to minimal risk level and provisional maximum tolerable daily intake. Result indicated that levels of Ni and V were within the safety limits for human consumption.