DISTRIBUTION OF FE, ZN, CU, AND CD IN SOME ORGANISMS, WATER AND SEDIMENT OF THE LAKE OF LESINA (SOUTHERN ITALY)

In order to evaluate the occurrence of some trace metals in the Lake o f Lesina (Southern Italy), the concentrations of iron, copper, zinc an d cadmium were determined in water, sediment, a species of marine phan erogam, a species of red alga and a crustacean species living in this area. The concentrations for all the metals were lower in water than i n the other matrices. Of the two plants analysed, Gracilaria verrucosa accumulated the four metals in much lower amounts than Zostera noltii , which showed particularly high cadmium concentrations. In Idotea bal tica hepatopancreas, the concentrations of all the heavy metals tested were much higher than that in the rest of the body.