DOI: 10.1007/s10967-008-1003-1 Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 278, No.3 (2008) 547–551
0236–5731/USD 20.00 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest
© 2008 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest Springer, Dordrecht
Biomonitoring of Hg, Cd, Pb and other elements in coastal regions of São Paulo
State, Brazil, using the transplanted mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)
M. G. M. Catharino,
1
M. B. A. Vasconcellos,
1
* E. C. P. M. de Sousa,
2
E. G. Moreira,
1
C. D. S. Pereira
2
1
Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242,
Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-000, São Paulo- SP, Brazil
2
Instituto Oceanográfico da USP-IOUSP, Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-120, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
(Received July 10, 2008)
Biomonitoring of coastal areas using marine organisms is an attractive approach for studying pollution caused by anthropic discharges. Most of the
experiments are based on the collection and analysis of native organisms, but this method has the disadvantage of dealing with many natural
variations. In this work, the marine bivalve Perna perna, very abundant in the coast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, was transplanted from a
mussel farm and used for biomonitoring of four sites, situated in coastal regions close to domestic and/or industrial discharges. Hg, Cd and Pb were
determined in the transplanted organisms by AAS and As, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Na, Se and Zn were determined by INAA.
Introduction
Coastal regions are the repositories of urban and
industrial discharges, which cause contamination of
water and marine life by many different kinds of
pollutants. An increase of pollutants levels is being
verified worldwide and this is leading to strategies to
diminish impacts caused to these ecosystems, which
sustain marine biodiversity, fisheries and energy
resources.
Various episodes of coastal contamination have
occurred worldwide,
1
leading several countries to the
establishment of extensive monitoring programs,
including analysis of organic and inorganic pollutants in
waters, sediments, marine organisms, birds, among
others.
In general, the so-called “passive biomonitoring”
approach is used, which means that the native organisms
are collected, prepared and analyzed for the elements of
interest.
2–4
Another kind of experiment is gaining
acceptance lately, consisting in transplanting marine
organisms (or lichens and plants in other cases) acquired
from clean areas, generally mussel farms, to possibly
polluted areas and analyzing the organisms after a given
period of exposure.
5,6
This is the “active biomonitoring”
approach and it aims to diminish natural variations
between, for instance, organisms of very different ages
and sizes.
In Brazil, some works have been carried out, using
marine organisms as biomonitors of toxic metals and
organochlorines. Special emphasis has been on mercury
and methylmercury analysis, due to the particular
toxicity of this element and its compounds. The
experiments were made using the passive biomonitoring
approach.
7,8
* E-mail: mbvascon@ipen.br
In the present work, the focus was the study of a
region of the marine coast of the State of São Paulo,
which is one of the most industrialized parts of Brazil
and suffers also strong impact of domestic effluents,
mainly from the city of Santos. The marine bivalve
Perna perna was selected as the biomonitoring organism
for inorganic elements and the active monitoring
approach was chosen, by means of transplantation of the
mussels from a mussel farm to the possibly
contaminated sites. The organisms were left for periods
of three months, in the four seasons of the year, in the
chosen sites and in the mussel farm as control. After
removal and sample preparation, the elements As, Ca,
Co, Cr, Fe, Na, Se and Zn were determined by INAA
and Cd and Pb were determined by ET AAS and Hg by
CV AAS. Statistical tests were applied to study the
bioaccumulation of these elements and their seasonal
variations.
Experimental
Study area
The study area comprises the region of the coast of
the State of São Paulo that extends from Santos to São
Sebastião, including the São Sebastião Canal and the
island of São Sebastião, known as Ilhabela (23° 58’–
23° 53’ S and 46° 30’–45° 19’ W). Figure 1 shows the
localization of the mussel farm (Point 0), transplant
points (Points 1, 2, 3 and 4) and points of industrial
emission (TEBAR) and domestic discharges (Praia
Grande, Santos, Enseada, São Sebastião and Ilhabela).