This study was conducted to estimate and compare the bioaccumulative capacity of the skeleton and edible muscles of two important commercially mollusks species (Sepia spp and Cardium edule) for essential heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, and Co) and non- essential heavy metals ( Hg, Pb and Cd). It was carried out also to evaluate the bioaccumulation process of the elements based on the Metal Pollution Index (MPI) as an attempt to use these mollusk organisms as bioindicators of pollution of Red Sea and to ensure the safety of these organisms for human consumption. The present study show that the skeleton of Sepia spp and C. edule accumulated higher percentages of the determined metals than their edible muscles. This result suggests that the skeleton of cephalopod and bivalve mollusks can be used as indicator of water pollution and this suggest their tendency to detoxification mechanism of heavy metals as a mean of protection. The present data also, show that MPI factor of essential metals were higher than that of non-essential heavy metals in all studied organisms. Moreover, MPI values suggested that bivalve mollusks have a greater capacity for metal bioaccumulation than cephalopod mollusks. So, therefore, bivalve mollusks are more vulnerable to metal pollution and it is suggested that C. edule can be used as bioindicator of metal pollution
Keywords:
Mollusks, Edible muscles, Skeleton, Heavy metals, Bioaccumulation, Metal pollution index.
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