The gastropod Polinices sordidus was collected from an uncontaminated
area in Quibray Bay, New South Wales, Australia, in 1990. The snails w
ere exposed for 2 wk to polluted sediments collected from Port Kembla
Harbour, Blackwattle Bay, Lake Illawarra, Lake Macquarie in New South
Wales, Australia, and the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia. Metal
accumulation and regulation by this species were evaluated. Metal conc
entrations in snail tissues and total, EDTA and HCl-extractable metals
in the sediments were compared. Copper concentrations were extremely
varied in snails exposed to the same sediment. This was not the case f
or other metals tested. No accumulation of copper was found in snails
exposed to different sediments. There was no zinc accumulation from se
diments containing less then 10 mg Zn/g. P. sordidus could accumulate
lead, manganese and iron from some of the sediments. Manganese concent
rations in the snail tissues correlated with total, HCl-extractable an
d, more significantly, EDTA-extractable Mn in the sediments. P. sordid
us was not considered to be a good bioindicator of copper and zinc con
tamination in sediments; however, this species could be used as an ind
icator of lead and manganese contamination.