ACCUMULATION, DISTRIBUTION AND FORM OF VANADATE IN THE TISSUES AND ORGANELLES OF THE MUSSEL MYTILUS-EDULIS AND THE GOLDFISH CARASSIUS-AURATUS

The accumulation, distribution and form of vanadate ions were studied in the mussel Mytilus edulis (L) and the goldfish Carassius auratus. After exposure to increasing doses from 0.5 to 500 mug/l for 4 days, the vanadium content in the mussel increased in all tissues, especially in the byssus which reached 17 mug V/g tissue. This suggests that this tissue could be useful as a marker for vanadium present in the aquatic environment. The vanadium present in the cytosol of the gills was associated with low molecular weight components, whereas in the mantle and hepatopancreas also with high molecular weights. After exposure to 50 mug V/1, Carassius auratus accumulated 0.1% of the dose. Among tissues, the intestine showed the highest concentration, being approximately 0.05% of the dose after 4 days exposure. In the cytosol of the fish intestine, vanadium was found associated with low molecular weights, representing an easily available pool to be excreted. The capability of vanadium to be present in marine and freshwater organisms in biochemical form(s) other than the inorganic ones is of particular interest in assessing the exposure of man to environmental vanadium as ingested by food.