Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Heavy Metal Concentration from Biologically Important Edible Species of Bivalves (Perna viridis and Modiolus metcalfei) from Vellar Estuary, South East Coast of India

Ponnusamy K, Sivaperumal P, Suresh M, Arularasan S, Munilkumar S and Pal AK

Commonly mollusks are filter feeding in habits so while feeding from the mud the unwanted chemicals and metals are accumulate in the organs like gills, foot and mantle. These edible bivalves can better be used for biomonitoring in case of the food safety at regularly used by the local fisherman community. So it is very important necessity to study about edible mollusks and with the aim of the present study is carried. Assessment of heavy metal such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn accumulation of seven different body parts viz, Foot, Mantle, Gonad, Adductor muscle, Byssal thread, Gills and shell from two different edible bivalve species of Perna viridis and Modiolus metcalfei were carried briefly. Among all the metals, Zn was higher and Cd was lower concentration were observed from two different bivalve and their values varied with respect to different body parts. The accumulation of these five heavy metals ranged as Cd (0.022-0.091 μg/g), Cr (0.147-0.447 μg/g) Cu (0.126-0.356 μg/g), Pb (0.145-1.57 μg/g) and Zn (0.964–8.607 μg/g) for P.viridis and M. metcalfei ranged as Cd (0.013-0.095 μg/g), Cr (0.092-0.495 μg/g) Cu (0.063-0.367 μg/g), Pb (0.528-1.263 μg/g) and Zn (2.172-11.113 μg/g). Cluster analysis (Bray-Curtis Similarity) was used for making the similarity percentage between different body parts of edible bivalves and comparison also done with sediment metal
concentration. In general, all heavy metals are less than the permissible level according to WHO/EPA  except Cr and Pb from both bivalves.