Use of the euryhaline bivalve Potamocorbula amurensis as a biosentinel species to assess trace metal contamination in San Francisco Bay

Abstract

Uptake of metal in both the laboratory and field showed that the clam P. amurensis was sufficiently responsive to Ag, Cd, Cr, Ni and V to detect environmental differences in exposure. It was less suitable as an indicator of Cu and Zn contamination. Variability within a collection was influenced by gut content and animal size. Temporal and spatial variability was also noted. The grand means of the concentrations of Ag, Cd, Cr, Ni, and V in the tissues of P. amurensis at each station for the 15 mo period revealed persistent contamination from industrialized Suisun Bay to the mouth of San Francisco Bay. -from Authors