A PILOT-STUDY OF HEAVY-METAL ACCUMULATIONS IN A BARNACLE FROM THE SALTON-SEA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Accumulations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Hg and Ph in body tissues and egg masses of Balanus amphitrite were measured with an inductively couple d plasma source mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Barnacles proved to be a g ood choice as a sentinel species for monitoring of heavy metals. A com parison of their levels in the animals inhabiting the Salton Sea with those from coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean showed that the sea, co ntrary to expectations, has not been severely contaminated by heavy me tals. The accumulations of the metals in barnacle bodies and eggs vari ed markedly between the stations but appeared least where organic poll ution was highest. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.