U.S. Geological Survey
Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting
Charleston South Carolina March 8-12, 1999--Volume 2 of 3--Contamination of Hydrologic Systems and Related Ecosystems, Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018B
Metal trends and effects in Potamocorbula amurensis in North San Francisco
Bay
By Cynthia L. Brown and Samuel N. Luoma
This paper is available in pdf format:
Brown.pdf
ABSTRACT
Long-term, multi-disciplined field sampling was used to assess both the fate
and effects of trace metals in northern San Francisco Bay. Bioaccumulation in
the bivalve Potamocorbula amurensis was measured at near-monthly intervals
between 1990 and 1997. Three accumulation patterns were detected. One pattern
indicates that biological regulation of Cu and Zn is an important control on
tissue concentrations. This was evident by the absence of persistent spatial
or temporal trends in the tissue concentrations of Cu or Zn, and the correlation
of Cu and Zn tissue concentrations with the weight of the clam. The pattern
in Cr, Ni, and V tissue concentrations was related to the combined influences
of riverine inputs and local industrial inputs. Seasonally, the highest tissue
concentrations of Cr, Ni, and V coincided with high delta inflows. Cadmium and
Ag tissue concentrations were not clearly related to any obvious source. However,
they were linked inversely to condition index, glycogen content, reproductive
status, and histopathology. The histopathological changes are biomarkers indicative
specifically of contaminant stress.
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