Accumulation Features of Micro and Macroelements in Indigenous and Alien Molluscs in Saldanha Bay, South Africa

Alien Mediterranean mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis, Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas and indigenous Cape mussels Choromytilus meridionalis were used as sentinel biomonitors of inorganic pollutants in Saldanha Bay, South Africa. Neutron activation analysis was used to determine the concentrations of 33 macro and microelements in the soft tissues of molluscs. The Mediterranean mussels significantly demonstrated the higher accumulation ability to S, Se and Br than the Pacific oysters, whereas the Pacific oysters - to Fe, Cu, Zn and As. The Cape mussels are more sensitive to Mn and As and the Mediterranean mussels were sensitive to Zn and Se.