Biomonitoring of Heavy Metals from İskenderun Bay Using Two Bivalve Species Chama pacifica Broderip, 1834 and Ostrea stentina Payraudeau, 1826

Bioaccumulation of cadmium, iron, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, nickel, chromium, cobalt and aluminum in the edible parts of two bivalvia species, Chama pacifica and Ostrea stentina, from øskenderun Bay, the northeastern Mediterranean sea, Turkey was examined at three stations. Mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the examined species were as follows; in C. pacifica Cd 7.53; Fe 82.02; Pb 62.34; Zn 419.8; Cu 46.93; Mn 5.79; Ni 22.87; Cr 3.36; Co 33.80; Al 130.9, in O. stentina Cd 4.27; Fe 270.6; Pb 6.21; Zn 1002; Cu 64.70; Mn 25.37; Ni 6.92; Cr 9.17; Co 8.67; Al 174.3 mg kg-1 dry weight. According to the results of variance analysis, it was observed that the heavy metal concentrations varied significantly by the sampling sites and species. Additionally, the results were compared with other studies and discussed. According to these results, to prevent this heavy metal pollution threat in the bay, taking into consideration the biodiversity in this ecosystem, it is inevitable that protective measurements must be started as soon as possibl