Uptake, depuration and subcellular distribution of cadmium in various tissues of Perna viridis

Green-lipped mussels (Perna viridis) were collected from a local mariculture site and placed in pre-cleaned sea water tanks containing 0, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.3 micrograms/ml CdCl2. The level of Cd in the gill, viscera and gonad was measured. The concentration of Cd in the 3 tissues increased linearly over 4 days' of exposure. The rate of uptake depends on the concentration of Cd in the water. In the 3 tissues studied, the maximum rate of uptake (Vmax) was highest in the gill (500 micrograms/g dry weight/day), followed by viscera (100 micrograms/g dry weight/day) and gonad (56.8 micrograms/g dry weight/day). The majority of the Cd taken up was bound to a fraction of the heat-stable proteins similar to metallothioneins. The rate of Cd depuration from the tissues was poor. There was no change in Cd concentration over 8 days' depuration in clean water.