Greenfield R., Wepener V., Degger N., Brink K.
Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
Greenfield, R., Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa; Wepener, V., Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa; Degger, N., Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa; Brink, K., Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
Richards Bay Harbour is South Africa's premier bulk cargo port. It was constructed in the Mhlathuze estuary in 1976 and over the past 34 years has become South Africa's most modern and largest cargo handling port. Although no official monitoring programme is in progress various studies by different groups have provided relevant data with respect to changing metal levels in brown mussel tissue (Perna perna) over the last 34 years. Eleven elements were analysed in brown mussels from the main channel in Richards Bay Harbour using ICP-MS. The results indicate that the metal concentrations in the mussel tissue remained relatively constant between 1974 and 2005. The mean metal concentrations increased significantly in 2005 possibly due to the construction of the new coal terminal and associated dredging activities. Mean metal concentrations in the 2008 sampling event were also elevated due to increased run off during an above average rainy season. © 2011.
Baseline; Long term monitoring; Metal bioaccumulation; Mussels; Perna perna; Biochemistry; Cargo handling; Ports and harbors; Shellfish; Tissue; Metals; aluminum; cadmium; chromium; cobalt; copper; iron; lead; manganese; nickel; strontium; zinc; baseline conditions; bioaccumulation; bivalve; cargo handling; concentration (composition); environmental monitoring; inductively coupled plasma method; pollution exposure; port; animal tissue; article; bioaccumulation; concentration (parameters); controlled study; environmental exposure; environmental impact assessment; environmental monitoring; human activities; indicator organism; long term exposure; marine environment; mass spectrometry; mussel; nonhuman; seasonal variation; South Africa; tissue level; water flow; water sampling; Animals; Environmental Monitoring; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Mass Spectrometry; Metals; Perna; Seasons; Seawater; South Africa; KwaZulu-Natal; Mhlathuze Estuary; Richards Bay Harbour; South Africa; Perna perna