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Publikasjoner

Trends and potential human health risk of trace elements accumulated in transplanted blue mussels during restoration activities of Flekkefjord fjord (Southern Norway)

Vitenskapelig artikkel
Publiseringsår
2022
Tidsskrift
Environmental Monitoring & Assessment
Eksterne nettsted
Cristin
Arkiv
Doi
NIVA-involverte
Federico Håland Gaeta
Forfattere
Marco Parolini, Sara Panseri, Federico Håland Gaeta, Luciana Rossi, Matteo Dell’Anno, Federica Ceriani, Beatrice De Felice, Trond Rafoss, Francesco Arioli, Salvatore Pilu, Luca Maria Chiesa

Sammendrag

The monitoring of contaminants represents a priority to preserve the integrity of marine ecosystems, as well as to plan and to manage restoration activities in order to protect environmental and human health. In the present study, a 6-months active biomonitoring was performed to explore the levels of eighteen trace and toxic elements, including heavy metals (TEs; i.e. Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn), accumulated in soft tissues of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758) individuals transplanted at different depths (5- and 15-m depth) in five locations within the Flekkefjord fjord (Southern Norway). As this area suffered a long-lasting contamination due to both organic and inorganic contaminants, a series of restoration activities were activated to tackle and to prevent potential risks for ecosystem and local population. Our results demonstrated that the levels of TEs accumulated in edible tissues of transplanted mussels in the Flekkefjord fjord were generally low before the beginning of the restoration activities. However, location- and time-specific differences in the accumulation of TEs were noted after the implementation of such activities. Interestingly, the levels of Fe and Mn significantly increased after the beginning of the restoration activities, likely because the release of these TEs from the slag used in such operations and/or resuspension of contaminated sediments. However, assuming that native mussels can accumulate the same TEs at levels measured in transplanted individuals, our results suggest a substantial safety for human consumption of native mussels from the Flekkefjord fjord, regardless of restoration activities.