CONCENTRATIONS OF HEAVY-METALS IN MYTILIDS OF AMUR BAY (SEA OF JAPAN)

The authors investigated the spatial and temporal variability of conce ntrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, and Ni in soft tissues of mytilid s of Amur Bay, an aquatory [underwater territory] subjected to a consi derable anthropogenic load. It was shown that the mytilids' trace-elem ent composition is controlled mostly by the contents of metals in abio tic components of the ecosystem and by the filtration rate. It was dis covered that from May to October metals are accumulated in accordance with the rate of delivery of material from dry, land. In this case, th e scale of seasonal variability is greater in silted and polluted biot opes. However, in the areas of maximum pollution the accumulation of m etals is limited, due to a reduction in the filtration rate.