Elementos-traço metálicos em mexilhões da Ilha Urubuqueçaba, na Baía de Santos, Brasil

The objective of this work was to verify the existence of bioaccumulation in mussels of the species Perna perna, by determining the concentration of metal trace elements, in Urubuqueçaba Island, Santos Bay, Santos, SP, Brazil. Mussels were collected in natural banks and rocky shores, and sampling took place from April 2010 to June 2011. The concentration of the trace metal elements – aluminum, cadmium, cromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc – was determined according to mussel sex, length, and seasonality classes, in a flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Statistical analyses were applied to the results with the use of the software PAST, with parametric and nonparametric approaches, at 5% probability. In the summer, mussels show the highest concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. Females of P. perna concentrate more copper; for the other elements, there are no significant differences between sexes. The length classes with the highest concentrations are 3.5–5.5 cm for Al and Fe, and 6.5–8.5 cm for Cr.O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a existência de bioacumulação em mexilhões da espécie Perna perna, por meio da determinação da concentração dos elementos-traço metálicos, na Ilha Urubuqueçaba, na Baía de Santos, Santos, SP, Brasil. Os mexilhões foram coletados em bancos naturais e costão rochoso, e as amostragens ocorreram no período de abril de 2010 a junho de 2011. A concentração dos elementos-traço metálicos – alumínio, cádmio, cromo, cobre, ferro, manganês, níquel, chumbo e zinco – foi determinada de acordo com o sexo, o comprimento e as classes de sazonalidade do mexilhão, em espectrômetro de absorção atômica de chama. Análises estatísticas foram aplicadas aos resultados com o uso do programa PAST, com abordagens paramétricas e não paramétricas, a 5% de probabilidade. No verão, os mexilhões apresentam as maiores concentrações de cádmio, cobre, chumbo e zinco. As fêmeas de P. perna concentram mais cobre; quanto aos demais elementos, não há diferenças significativas entre os sexos. As classes de comprimento que apresentam maiores concentrações são a de 3,5–5,5 cm para Al e Fe, e a de 6,5–8,5 cm para Cr

Metal trace elements in mussels in Urubuqueçaba Island, Santos Bay, Brazil

<div><p>Abstract: The objective of this work was to verify the existence of bioaccumulation in mussels of the species Perna perna, by determining the concentration of metal trace elements, in Urubuqueçaba Island, Santos Bay, Santos, SP, Brazil. Mussels were collected in natural banks and rocky shores, and sampling took place from April 2010 to June 2011. The concentration of the trace metal elements - aluminum, cadmium, cromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc - was determined according to mussel sex, length, and seasonality classes, in a flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Statistical analyses were applied to the results with the use of the software PAST, with parametric and nonparametric approaches, at 5% probability. In the summer, mussels show the highest concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. Females of P. perna concentrate more copper; for the other elements, there are no significant differences between sexes. The length classes with the highest concentrations are 3.5-5.5 cm for Al and Fe, and 6.5-8.5 cm for Cr.</p></div