Effect of Heavy Metals (Cu, Co, Cd) on the Early Development of Mytilus edulis (Mollusca; Bivalvia)

Abstract

The effect of dissolved heavy metals (Cu, Cd and Co) on the early development of blue mussel Mytilus edulis from the White Sea was studied in an acute 72-hour experiment, together with the effect of combinations of abiotic environmental factors: temperature (8, 12, and 16°C) and water salinity (14, 19, and 24‰). Calculated generalized linear models (GLM) show a significant effect of the factors on the number of D-veligers in all series of the experiment. The results provide evidence that the pairwise combination between factors “concentration” and “salinity” is synergistic, while those between factor “temperature” and the above two factors is antagonistic. Dose-effect relationships for copper and cobalt are described by log-logistic curves with an upper limit, and that for cadmium series, by a Weibull curve with an upper limit.