Assessment of the ecological quality of the Minho estuary (Northwest Iberian Peninsula) based on metal concentrations in sediments and in Corbicula fluminea

The concentrations of metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) in sediments and the soft tissues of Corbicula fluminea from the Minho estuary (Northwest Iberian Peninsula) were determined to assess the spatial variation of metal bioavailability and to classify the ecological quality of the estuary. Metal concentrations in sediments showed significant spatial variation (p<0.0003) and ranged in concentration (dry weight basis) from 0.025-0.36 mg Cd/kg, 7-16 mg Cr/kg, 2.7-24.6 mg Cu/kg, 7.3-45 mg Ni/kg, 4.1-15 mg Pb/kg and 37.3-110 mg Zn/kg. According to the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority metal concentration guidelines for sediments, this first ecological quality classification of the Minho estuary is “Class I/II – Background/Good.” Metal concentrations in the soft tissues of C. fluminea also showed significant spatial variation (p<0.0001) and ranged in concentration (dry weight basis) from 1.1-2.5 mg Cd/kg, 1.0-1.8 mg Cr/kg, 34-71 mg Cu/kg, 5.8-11 mg Ni/kg, 0.45-1.3 mg Pb/kg and 136-161 mg Zn/kg. The high Cu concentrations bioaccumulated by C. fluminea in the Minho estuary suggest that the estuary should be classified as “Class II/III – Moderately/Remarkably Polluted.” Thus, the primary contributions of this work are that C. fluminea proved to be a good and adequate biomonitor of metal contamination in the Minho estuary and that it could be used to assess the ecological quality of estuarine ecosystems worldwide.