Heavy metals in Patella caerulea (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in polluted and non-polluted areas from the Iskenderun Gulf (Mediterranean Turkey).

The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Co were measured in gastropod mollusks Patella caerulea in the Mediterranean area. The organisms were collected at two coastal sites in Iskenderun Gulf during winter, spring, summer, and autumn 2008. Samples of the digestive gland, gill, and muscle were analyzed for heavy metals. The aim of study is to determine heavy metal levels in tissues of P. caerulea in different locations. Tissues of P. caerulea from the polluted site showed metal concentrations appreciably higher than unpolluted organisms. The highest metal levels were registered in the digestive gland of P. caerulea. Generally, digestive gland and gills showed higher metal concentrations than muscle. The average concentrations of heavy metals analyzed exhibited the following decreasing order: Fe>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cd>Pb>Co for both stations 1 and 2. Seasonal changes in metal concentrations were observed in the tissues of P. caerulea from a polluted and an unpolluted population.