TRACE ELEMENTS IN CLAMS, MUSSELS, AND SHRIMP

Abstract

Compositional changes in the trace element content of shells of mussels and clams that might be related to man’s influence on the composition of inshore marine waters over the past hundred years were sought but not found. The elements Rb, Fe, Co, Sb, Sc, Ag, Cr, Zn, Se, and IIg were analyzed in freshly caught and museum specimens by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Contamination from the preservatives was evident in the shells and tissues of museum specimens. Elemental concentrations in the calcareous shells, both aragonitic and mixed aragonitic‐calcitic, are similar and may reflect the composition of the waters in which they lived, rejection by the organisms, or surface associated features. The proteinaceous molts of shrimp contained high levels of these elements, in agreement with previous investigations. With 20–25 molts per shrimp per year, the molting of shrimp can cause a redistribution of these elements within the marine environment.