Accumulation of Trace Elements in Mussels, Fish and Marine Mammals from the Black Sea

During these lasts four decades, an increasing awareness has been provoked by chemicals deeply present in the environment. They can exert and cause deleterious effects on wildlife populations and human health. That is inextricably linked to the health of the environment. Elevated levels of pollutants in the watercolumn, in combination with high bioavailability of the pollutants, are likely to result in elevated concentrations in aquatic organisms. This work reports the results of selected trace elements accumulation in Black Sea species of: mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Mediterranean mussel), three fish species namely Engraulis encrasicholus ponticus – anchovy, Sprattus sprattus phalericus – sprat and Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus – horse mackerel and marine mammals – Phocoena phocoena var. relicta Black Sea harbour porpoise. By comparison of our results with existing literature information this study aims to link biological and toxicological data to information on the sources of pollutant intake through analysis of the cetaceans' food items. The main objectives that were pursued in this study are: to determine levels of selected trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V) in porpoises as well as to study the distribution of essential and toxic trace elements between various body parts (tissues) of the animals (muscle, liver, kidney and brain) and to relate the trace element levels with ecological factors; to analyse selected elements accumulation in fish (food for porpoises and humans and bioindicator) and in mussels (bioindicator) from the Romanian Black Sea coast and relate element levels to biotical and abiotical factors, as well as to the set limits for human health, to evaluate the food intake and risk assessment though the fish species for humans. Another objective was to quantify the toxic species of arsenic (sum of inorganic As III – arsenite, As V arsenate, MMA monomethylarsonic acid and DMA dimethylarsinic acid) in proportion to the