ACCUMULATION OF COPPER IN CERTAIN BIVALVES OF VELLAR ESTUARY, PORTO-NOVO, S INDIA IN NATURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS

The copper content of three species of bivalves of commercial food value Anadara granosa (Linnaeus), Meretrix casta Deshayes and Crassostrea madrasensis (Preston), inhabiting Vellar estuary was determined. Their soft body tissues had copper levels ranging from 7.56 to 11.08 parts/106 in A. granosa, 10.85 to 11.73 parts/106 in M. casta and 15.21 to 18.70 parts/106 in C. madrasensis on the basis of dry weight. Analysis of different organs (gills, mantle, hepatopancreas, foot and adductor muscles) showed that the gills and mantle contain more copper suggesting the binding capacity of the mucous protein. These bivalves were experimentally subjected to different copper concentrations (0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 parts/106) in synthetic sea water media (25%‰ salinity and pH 8.0 ± 0.1) kept in the laboratory for 96 h, and later analysed for copper both for entire soft body level and for different organs. An increase in copper concentration of the medium increased the accumulation. © 1979.