Trace Metals in Pearl River Estuary Organisms

Important concepts when considering the biology of trace metals in aquatic organisms are uptake processes, bioavailability, bioaccumulation and toxicity. Recent decades have testified the dramatic progress in our understanding of these fundamental ecotoxicological aspects of trace metal biology. A biomonitoring programme has been established in the Pearl River Estuary using a widespread estuarine oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis. Biomonitoring results have demonstrated the rapidly reducing input of trace metals such as Cr and Ni into the PRE over recent years, whereas the environmental control over other trace metals has been less efficient. There are historical records of trace metal concentrations in different groups of PRE organisms such as bivalve molluscs, barnacles, fish and cetaceans.