The persistence of chronically accumulated hydrocarbons in the hard shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
9-1-1977
Abstract
Hard shell clams, Mercenaria mercenaria, from the chronically polluted environment of the Providence River, USA, were transferred to a clean laboratory system located in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The hydrocarbon contents of these transplanted clams were monitored for 120 days after transfer. After this period only slight depuration had occurred. A 41.9 μg g wet weight-1 average initial hydrocarbon burden decreased to 29.3 μg g-1, a decrease that became statistically significant (P<0.1) only after 120 days. At most, only 30% of the clams' hydrocarbons were lost. These findings indicate that the duration of the exposure period and the chemical nature of the source hydrocarbons are both instrumental in determining the persistence of these compounds in filter-feeding bivalves. Chronically accumulated petroleum hydrocarbons are strongly retained by the organisms and are only very slowly depurated. © 1977 Springer-Verlag.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Marine Biology
Volume
44
Issue
3
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Boehm, P. D., and J. G. Quinn. "The persistence of chronically accumulated hydrocarbons in the hard shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria." Marine Biology 44, 3 (1977). doi: 10.1007/BF00387704.