METALLOTHIONEIN INDUCTION AND METAL PARTITIONING IN Mytilus edulis: A RAPID BIOMARKER FOR DESIGNATED EUROPEAN MARINE SITES?

Environmental protection agencies are now looking to biomarkers to enhance current environmental impact assessment procedures and monitoring programmes. The quantification of levels of metallothionein (MT) induction is proposed as a biological indicator for metal exposure. Concentrations of MT in the gill tissues of Mytilus edulis from various sites within Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC/SPA and the Fal and Helford SAC were quantified using differential pulse polarography (DPP). In an attempt to enhance this technique sub-cellular metal partitioning was examined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). DPP highlighted significant differences in MT concentrations, which ranged from 0.57 mg g'^ dw to a maximum value of 2.86 mg g"^ dw. Of the four metals tested, it appears that Cu, Cd and Ag, but not Zn, may be responsible for the elevated levels of MT found in this study. Some evidence from the metal partitioning analysis of MT affinity relationships and the spill-over model are discussed. These results show that analysis of levels of MT induction in mussel gill tissue is capable of detecting anthropogenic metal contamination in estuarine conditions; however, further work is suggested to improve definition in the results. Keywords: Metallothionein; Biomarker; Metals; Mussel; Mytilus edulis; Pollution monitoring; Plymouth Sound; Falmouth Bay; SACs.Faculty of Science, The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, Devon, U