A nationwide survey of trace metals and Zn isotopic signatures in mussels (Mytilus edulis) and oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from the coast of South Korea

Assessment of coastal pollutants and health status of Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and adjacent beaches (Argentina)

This study assessed the effects of pollutants on Magallana gigas along a coastal zone with different levels of human activity: a highly impacted zone in the Bahía Blanca Estuary and a less impacted zone on the adjacent sandy beaches. Oysters collected in 2021 were analyzed for various factors, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides, microplastics, oxidative stress and histology. Oysters of both environments exhibited detectable concentrations of all these pollutants in their tissues. However, the estuarine oysters showed higher concentrations of Zn, Cu and As and total PAHs than the beach oysters. Banned organochlorine pesticides were detected only in beach oysters. Estuarine oysters displayed morphological changes in their digestive gland including a reduction in the mean epithelial thickness of the tubule and elevated lipid peroxidation levels, indicating cellular damage. This study underscores the widespread presence of pollutants in M. gigas, indicating the need for effective strategies to safeguard coastal ecosystem health.

Copper and zinc isotope systematics in different bivalve mollusk species from the French coastline: Implications for biomonitoring

Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) stable isotopic compositions have been analyzed in various species of bivalve mollusks worldwide, but no comprehensive systematic interspecies comparison exists. Thus, we assessed isotope differences between species harvested in emblematic French coastal ecosystems to unveil biologically driven Cu and Zn isotope fractionation patterns. Inter-species isotopic variability of Cu is larger than Zn, with organisms that regulate internal concentrations displaying preferential bioaccumulation of heavy isotopes. The degree of internal isotope fractionation decreases from mussels > clams > oysters, affecting Cu more than Zn. The less pronounced Zn inter-specie variability helps preserve source information more reliably. Spatial analysis of a single oyster species denotes thus an important isotope variability of environmental Zn sources, including natural, anthropogenic and dietary components. Overall, results highlight the importance of considering systematic offset in Cu and Zn isotope values when comparing data from different bivalve species.

Seasonal and multi-decadal zinc isotope variations in blue mussels from two sites with contrasting zinc contamination levels

Zinc (Zn) isotope compositions in soft mussel tissues help identify internal biological processes and track coastal Zn sources in coastal environments, thus aiding in managing marine metal pollution. This study investigated the seasonal and multi-decadal Zn isotope compositions of blue mussels (genus Mytilus) from two French coastal sites with contrasting Zn environmental contamination. Concurrently, we characterized the isotope ratios of sediments and plankton samples at each site to understand the associations between organisms and abiotic compartments. Our primary objective was to determine whether these isotope compositions trace long-term anthropogenic emission patterns or if they reflect short-term biological processes. The multi-decadal isotope profiles of mussels in the Loire Estuary and Toulon Bay showed no isotope variations, implying the enduring stability of the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic Zn sources over time. At seasonal scales, Zn isotope ratios were also constant; hence, isotope effects related to spawning and body growth were not discernible. The multi-compartmental analysis between the sites revealed that Toulon Bay exhibits a remarkably lower Zn isotope ratio across all studied matrices, suggesting the upward transfer of anthropogenic Zn in the food web. In contrast, the Zn isotope variability observed for sediments and organisms from the Loire Estuary fell within the natural baseline of this element. In both sites, adsorptive geogenic material carrying significant amounts of Zn masks the biological isotope signature of plankton, making it difficult to determine whether the Zn isotope ratio in mussels solely reflects the planktonic diet or if it is further modified by biological homeostasis. In summary, Zn isotope ratios in mussels offer promising avenues for delineating source-specific isotope signatures, contingent upon a comprehensive understanding of the isotope fractionation processes associated with the trophic transfer of this element through the plankton.

Human health risk attributed to consumption of seafood and recreation swimming in Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka: An assessment on lagoon water and inhabitant oysters (Crassostrea cucullata Born, 1778)

The Negombo Lagoon is a coastal lagoon influenced by local communities that introduce waste into its ecosystem. This study examined seven sewage entry points, out of which five sites were chosen for oyster sampling based on availability. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters of water (measured in triplicate at each site, n = 84) and oyster samples (total length, TL > 6 cm, n = 30) were assessed. Variation in regional coliform contamination was analyzed employing a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that the northern part of the lagoon exceeded recommended coliform thresholds for swimming (total coliform concentration (TCC) < 126 most probable number (MPN)) and seafood consumption (TCC < 100 MPN/g), indicating the presence of Escherichia coli. Water quality indices affirmed fecal pollution, except in the southern part of the lagoon. Furthermore, the study found high oyster consumption (76.7 %), elucidating that oysters from the northern part of Negombo Lagoon pose health risks.

The French Mussel Watch Program reveals the attenuation of coastal lead contamination over four decades

The mid-20th century industrial peak caused severe global lead (Pb) marine contamination. Although Europe initiated Pb emission reduction regulations in the 1980s, the short- and long-term impacts remain unclear. This study investigates the evolution of Pb contamination on the French coast through elemental and isotope analysis in oysters and mussels from the French "Mussel Watch" Program. Observations at 114 monitoring stations over four decades have shown decreasing Pb levels in these bivalve mollusks. In 1988, 95 % exceeded the background reference values; this level had dropped to 39 % by 2021. The Pb isotope ratios in bivalves from eight target sites revealed a reduction in bioaccumulated anthropogenic Pb, albeit without complete elimination. The long residence time of legacy Pb combined with inputs from diffuse urban sources likely explains the persistent presence of anthropogenic Pb on the French coast. This study endorses the importance of continuous biomonitoring to evaluate environmental regulations and policies.

Mercury Contamination as an Indicator of Fish Species' Trophic Position in the Middle Araguaia River, Brazil

This study evaluates the use of mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish muscle tissue to determine a species' trophic position (TP) in its environment. A campaign conducted in 2019 along 375 km in the middle Araguaia River basin, Brazil, resulted in 239 organisms from 20 species collected. The highest total mercury (THg) concentrations were found in Pellonacastelnaeana (6.93 µg·g-1, wet weight) and in Triportheus elongatus (3.18 µg·g-1, wet weight), whose TPs were different according to the FishBase database. However, they occupied the same trophic level in this study. The intra-specific comparison showed a difference in Hg concentrations between individuals captured in distinct sites. The study of the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) showed that spatiality interferes with a species' TP. Statistical analyses revealed that when we used a predicted species' TP based on each individual's size, it explained 72% of the variability in THg concentration across all fish species. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that standard length and FishBase values are positively associated with THg (R2 = 0.943). These results point to Hg as a viable indicator of a fish species' TP since it reflects regional, biological, and environmental factors, as demonstrated here for the middle Araguaia River.

Environmental assessment of oyster beds in the northern Arabian Gulf Coast of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab of Emirates (UAE) hosts valuable coastal and marine biodiversity, and oysters are one of the habitants of its marine ecosystem. Oysters play an essential role in the nearshore coasts where they work as an active filter. They filter nutrients, phytoplankton, sediments, heavy metals, and toxins out of the water, which improves the water quality. This is the first study that characterizes oyster bed habitats in the UAE by analyzing water quality parameters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)and heavy metals in water, sediments and oyster samples collected from five locations along the coasts of Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm al Quwain. Oyster bed areas supported a diverse assemblage of benthic life including oysters, scallops, pen shells, hard corals, and macroalgae. Mobile species in these habitats included groupers, emperors, snappers, sea snakes, among others. The phytoplankton assemblages were dominated by diatoms, dinoflagellates, and small cryptophytes. Harmful diatom Pseudonitzschia was found in all locations. No detectable concentrations of PAHs and OCPs were reported in this study, and water quality parameters were within the acceptable levels for the region. On the other hand, water quality index was reported marginal, mostly due to the presence of higher than acceptable concentrations of chromium and mercury in all sites studied. Bioconcentration factors concluded that oysters were able to bioconcentrate metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and zinc, when compared to water. No detectable concentrations of lead and mercury were reported in oysters, suggesting higher depuration rates for those metals.

Heavy Metals Concentration in Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) from the Moroccan Mediterranean Coast and Potential Human Health Risk Assessment

Due to their toxicity, long persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and biomagnification in the food chain, heavy metals pose a serious hazard. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health risks associated with the consumption of Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of four potentially toxic metallic elements. Three hundred and sixty specimens of sardine were collected between December 2020 and October 2021 at three Mediterranean coast sites, Beni-Ensar, Ras el Ma, and El-Houceima, in the northeast region of Morocco. The toxic metallic elements were evaluated by assessing the contamination level of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in the muscle, liver, and gills of sardine from the Mediterranean Moroccan coast. The results showed a significant effect of the study area, organ, and season ( $p>0.05$ ) on Moroccan Mediterranean sardine heavy metal contamination levels. Regardless the location and season, the liver presents the higher concentration of the studied metals ( $p<0.05$ ). The highest heavy metal concentrations of Cd (0.408 μg·g−1 wet weight (ww)), Hg (0.044 μg·g−1 ww), and As (6.74 μg·g−1 ww) were found in winter while the concentration of Pb was the highest in autumn (0.056 μg·g−1 ww). Furthermore, the lowest contamination of metal levels was found in the spring. El-Houceima region contains the highest values for Hg (0.093 μg·g−1 ww), Pb (0.018 μg·g−1 ww), and As (7.73 μg·g−1 ww). However, the highest values for Cd (0.172 μg·g−1 ww) were recorded in Beni-Ensar. Regarding the assessment of possible risks to human health, the results showed that the indices are below the established safety values in the case of estimated weekly intake, and target hazard quotient (THQ). In contrast, the carcinogenic risk index and total THQ were above the threshold limits and thus represented a potential carcinogenic risk to human health.

Bioaccumulation of 35 metal(loid)s in organs of a freshwater mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii) and environmental implications in Poyang Lake, China

Benthic bioaccumulation of hazardous materials has been a great challenge to the health of lake ecosystems. As representative benthic macroinvertebrates, freshwater mussels and their accumulation characteristics have been regarded as effective indicators for assessing potential risks induced by sedimentary metal(loid)s in lakes. Here we profile organ-specific accumulation of 35 metal(loid)s in a freshwater mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii) and their correlations to metal speciation in sediments of Poyang Lake, the largest lake of China. Significant organ-specific characteristics of metal accumulation were found in gills, though higher thallium (Tl) and selenium (Se) were found in the hepatopancreas, and greater arsenic (As) mostly accumulated in gonads. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the bioaccumulation of silver (Ag), cobalt (Co), and rare earth elements (ΣREE) in gills and As in gonads were closely associated with those in bioavailable fraction of sediments. Based on the biochemical analysis in the major organs, gills exhibited the highest enzymatic activity compared with hepatopancreas and gonads. Sedimentary metals, particularly for available Ag, Co, and ΣREE, play key roles in causing lipid peroxidation in gills and significantly promote the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD)/glutathione reductase (GR), while many metals (e.g., cadmium, manganese, Se) inhibit the glutathione (GSH) content in gonads and hepatopancreas. Our study indicates a high physiological sensitivity of mussels to these target metals, which highlights the significance of organ-specific accumulation of metal(loid)s in understanding the potential ecological risks of sedimentary metal(loid)s in lake ecosystems.

"Non-traditional" stable isotopes applied to the study of trace metal contaminants in anthropized marine environments

The advent of Multicollector ICP-MS inaugurated the analysis of new metal isotope systems, the so-called "non-traditional" isotopes. They are now available tools to study geochemical and ecotoxicological aspects of marine metal contamination and hence, to push the frontiers of our knowledge. However, such applications are still in their infancy, and an accessible state-of-the-art describing main applications, obstacles, gaps, and directions for further development was missing from the literature. This paper fills this gap and aims to encourage the marine scientific community to explore the contributions of this newly available information for the fields of chemical risk assessment, biomonitoring, and trophic transfer of metal contaminants. In the current "Anthropocene" epoch, metal contamination will continue to threaten marine aquatic ecosystems, and "non-traditional" isotopes can be a valuable tool to detect human-induced changes across time-space involving metal contaminants, and their interaction with marine biota.

Oyster arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc levels in the northern South China Sea: long-term spatiotemporal distributions, combined effects, and risk assessment to human health

Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are often considered vulnerable due to the complex biogeochemical processes and the human disturbances through a variety of pollution. Among environmental contaminants, heavy metals in estuarine and coastal ecosystems have been of increasing concern in environmental conservation. Long-term exposure to heavy metal contamination, mainly through food and water, could be harmful to human health. It is therefore critical to understand the quantitative comparisons and combined effects of different heavy metals in common seafood species, such as oysters. This work studied the long-term spatiotemporal trends and health risk assessment of oyster arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) levels in the coastal waters of northern South China Sea. Cultured oysters (Crassostrea rivularis) from 23 estuaries and harbors in the coastal areas of northern South China Sea in 1989-2015 were analyzed for the spatiotemporal trends of the six heavy metal levels. Metal pollution index (MPI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI) were used for quantifying the exposure of the six heavy metals to human health through oyster consumption. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for assessing the relative importance of the six metals in oyster heavy metal distribution patterns in the northern South China Sea. Overall, the As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn levels in oysters from the northern South China Sea generally declined from 1989 to 2015, stayed relatively high (MPI = 2.42-3.68) during 1989-2000, gradually decreased since 2000, and slightly increased after 2010. Oyster heavy metal levels were highest in the Pearl River Estuary (MPI = 1.20-5.52), followed by west Guangdong and east Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan coastal waters. This pattern is probably because economics and industry around the Pearl River Estuary have been growing faster than the other areas of this work in the recent two decades, and it should be taken as a hotspot for the monitoring of seafood safety in southern China. Principal component analysis indicated that Cu, Zn, and Cd were the most important metals in the long-term distributions of oyster heavy metal levels in the northern South China Sea. Health risk assessment suggested that the risk of the six heavy metals exposure through oyster consumption were relatively high during 1989-2005 (THQ = 1.01-5.82), significantly decreased since 2005 (THQ < 1), and slightly increased after 2010.