Metal accumulation in mussels of the Kuril Islands, north-west Pacific Ocean

Concentrations of cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc were investigated in two species of mussel from the Kuril Islands in the north-western Pacific Ocean: the short-lived mussel Mytilus trossulus and the much larger and longer-lived Crenomytilus grayanus. The concentrations of most elements were low, and these reported levels are believed to reflect background values for pristine locations. However, both iron and zinc concentrations were elevated in some samples taken from areas of hydrothermal vent activity, and these are believed to reflect the enrichment of the two metals in solution at such sites. Furthermore, the concentrations of cadmium were unusually elevated in both species of mussel, especially in the longer-lived C. grayanus. The high accumulation of cadmium in mussels from the Kuril Islands is believed to reflect regional upwelling, but it is also postulated that filtration rates of the mussels are high due to low levels of suspended matter, and this leads to a high assimilation efficiency for cadmium. The distribution of cadmium amongst the tissues of C. grayanus is also reported, and the need for further ecotoxicological studies in the area is proposed.     

Scytosiphon Iomentaria (Phaeophyta) as an Indicator of Heavy-Metal Contamination of Sea Waters

Abstract. The brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria is discussed as a possible indicator of heavy-metal contamination of marine coastal waters. A comparison with other brown algae shows that a strong development of the specific surface of S. lomentaria thallus increases the ability of accumulating suspended iron and lead from ambient waters. The paper presents the results obtained from several localities in the Sea of Japan. Scytosiphon has an advantage over other indicator species used in the monitoring of sea heavy-metal contamination due to its virtually "cosmopolitic" distribution.     

Fluid migration and location of fractured layers in the crystalline basement by temperature logging in the Volga Region, Russia

High-precision temperature logging in deep and superdeep wells has permitted the study of the thermal regime in the granite–gneiss layer of the Earth's crust. The long-term logging works have allowed the classification of temperature anomalies recorded in the crystalline basement. Most anomalies have been supposed to be caused by loosely aggregated, permeable zones. The classification reflects main types of processes at a great depth — such as injection, inflow and upward migration of gas-cut fluid. The results of great practical importance are obtained using our classification: some intervals — where temperature anomalies interpreted as inflow reservoirs were revealed — have produced fluid, and others interpreted as injection reservoirs absorbed borehole fluid during tests.     

Heavy metals in mass species of bivalves in Ha Long Bay (South China Sea,Vietnam)

To characterize the terrigenous, anthropogenic, and technogenous impacts upon the ecosystems of coral reefs in the shallow-water Ha Long Bay, which was declared by UNESCO to be a world natural heritage site, the levels of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Ni in the soft tissues of six mass species of bivalve mollusks from island coastal waters were studied. Taking into account the abundance and distribution, as well as the capability to represent the geochemical conditions of the environment, for further biomonitoring of heavy metal contents in the coastal waters of the bay, the following species were recommended: Septifer binocularis, Barbatia amygdalumtostum, and Isognomon isognomon.