Laboratory studies on the accumulation of inorganic mercury and methylmercury by the mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam) in relation to the presence of sediment

Abstract

A comparative study on the accumulation of inorganic mercury and methylmercury by the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was based on nine days of exposure to 25 µg L⁻¹ HgCl₂ or to 2.5 µg L⁻¹ methylmercury in laboratory microcosms. Mercury (Hg) content was evaluated in the gills, digestive gland, and mantle. A higher accumulation occurred in the gills than in other tissues. The effect of the sediment on the bioaccumulation of the Hg species was evaluated. The results showed that the sediment accumulated the inorganic Hg more efficiently than the methylmercury. In both cases, the bioaccumulation in the tissues was reduced. The observed differences emphasized the need for caution when field results are compared with the results of laboratory experiments. The fate of either inorganic or organic Hg was depicted considering the absolute total amount given and the amount found in all the matrices (organism, sediment, and seawater).

Keywords:

• mercury
• methylmercury
• mussel tissue
• sediment
• bioconcentration

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by a COFIN fund. Thanks are due to Kate Dempsey, Novilinguists Multimedia, Genoa, Italy, for the English revision. We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.