Abstract
SEVERAL independent studies have established that unusually high concentrations of certain heavy metals, most notably cadmium, are found in littoral flora and fauna of the Bristol Channel1–4. An experiment by Peden et al.5 established that the concentrations of cadmium and zinc in dog whelks (Nucella lapillus) did not markedly decrease after transferring specimens to clean water for seven weeks. Bristol Channel dog whelks have shells with an elongated shape, clearly distinguishable from the usual shell shape. This feature, together with the fact that dog whelks move very little (J. H. Crothers, personal communication), makes the species ideal for studying the absorption of metals.
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References
Abdullah, M. I., Royal, L. G., and Morris, A. W., Nature, 235, 158 (1972).
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Survey of Cadmium in Food (HMSO, London, 1973).
Butterworth, J., Lester, P., and Nickless, G., Mar. Poll. Bull., 3, 72 (1972).
Nickless, G., Stenner, R. D., and Terrille, N., Mar. Poll. Bull., 3, 188 (1972).
Peden, Joan D., Crothers, J. H., Waterfall, C. E., and Beasley, J., Mar. Poll. Bull., 4, 7 (1973).
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STENNER, R., NICKLESS, G. Absorption of Cadmium, Copper and Zinc by Dog Whelks in the Bristol Channel. Nature 247, 198–199 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/247198a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/247198a0
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