Journal of
Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences

  • Abbreviation: J. Toxicol. Environ. Health Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9820
  • DOI: 10.5897/JTEHS
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 217

Full Length Research Paper

The relationships between metal (Pb, Cu, Cd and Cr) levels and the size of the Moroccan Atlantic Coast gastropod species (Patella rustica)

Lalla Meryem IDRISSI AZZOUZI
  • Lalla Meryem IDRISSI AZZOUZI
  • Laboratory of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene and Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome, University Mohamed V of Rabat, School of Sciences, Morocco.
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Rachid Ben Aakame
  • Rachid Ben Aakame
  • Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Toxicology, Industrial and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.
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Abdellah El Abidi
  • Abdellah El Abidi
  • Laboratory of Hydrobiology, Toxicology, Industrial and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.
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Mariam Naciri
  • Mariam Naciri
  • Laboratory of Biodiversity, Ecology and Genome, University Mohamed V of Rabat, School of Sciences, Morocco.
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  •  Received: 23 January 2023
  •  Accepted: 19 March 2024
  •  Published: 31 May 2024

Abstract

The metal (Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr) concentrations in the soft tissues of the gastropod mollusc limpet (Patella rustica) from the Moroccan Atlantic Coast were measured. The relationships between limpets size and metal levels were investigated by linear regression analysis. This work was carried out to determine the bioaccumulation and relationships of some essential (Cu and Cr) and non-essential (Pb and Cd) metals in the soft tissues of P. rustica by calculating the correlation analysis. For this study, 120 limpets (P. rustica) were collected from three different locations in the purpose to analyse the levels of metals by using the standard Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). In soft tissues of P. rustica, the metal concentrations (ng/mg dry weight) decrease in the following order: Cu (4.14) > Cr (3.98) > Pb (2.13) > Cd (1.18). The results of the linear regression analysis confirmed that in all samples the relationships between metal concentrations and limpets size were significant. Moreover, the smaller size of limpets showed higher concentrations (ng/mg dry weight) of Cd, Pb, Cu and Cr than the larger ones. However, it was found that the tissue of P. rustica has the potential to be used as a biomonitoring agent for the metal contamination in gastropod molluscs, as indicated by the significant correlation between metal concentrations (Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr) in the soft tissues of limpets and their size.

Key words: Metals, Patella rustica, length, weight, bioaccumulation, Moroccan Atlantic Coast.