Biomonitoring of Heavy Metals Using the Bivalve Molluscs in Sunderban Mangrove Wetland,Northeast Coast of Bay of Bengal (India): Possible Risks to Human Health |
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Authors: | Santosh Kumar Sarkar Henrique Cabral Mousumi Chatterjee Ines Cardoso Asok Kumar Bhattacharya Kamala Kanta Satpathy Mohammad Aftab Alam |
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Affiliation: | 1. Departamento de Biologia Animal/Instituto de Oceanografia, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal.;2. Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, Calcutta, India.;3. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Environmental and Industrial Safety Section, Safety Group, Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, India. |
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Abstract: | The suitability of using four bivalve molluscs (Sanguinolaria acuminata, Anadara granosa, Meretrix meretrix, and Pelecyora trigona) in biomonitoring of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Hg) collected from intertidal regions of the Sunderban mangrove wetland, northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, were evaluated. Both speciesdependent variability and temporal variations were pronounced. A high degree of organ specificity was evident in the bivalves where gill and mantle exhibited higher metal accumulation due to ion exchange property of the mucous layer covering these organs while shells represent very poor accumulation. Elevated values of Zn and Cu reflect high potential for biomagnification through marine food chain. Metal concentrations in different body size groups of the bivalves do not follow uniform trend. Correlation coefficient between different metal couplings as tested statistically revealed significant coupling for Pb–Zn, Pb–Cu, Zn–Cu, and Hg–Cu. Concentrations of all the metals in specific organs (visceral mass, mantle and gill) of the bivalves exceeded the safe levels according to the international standards for metals compiled by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and would be of great risk for human consumption. It is concluded that the mussel and clam are suitable biomonitors to employ in programs designed to assess changes in metal pollution in the Sunderban mangrove wetland. |
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Keywords: | Biomonitoring Bioindicator Bivalve Mollusks Heavy Metals Human Health Sunderban Delta Wetland |
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