Size- and age-specific patterns of trace metal concentrations in freshwater clams from an acid-sensitive and a circumneutral lake

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Abstract
We collected freshwater clams (Elliptio complanata) from an acid-sensitive and a circumneutral lake in south central Ontario and compared tissue metal concentrations. Clams from the acid-sensitive lake had higher concentrations of Cu and Cd and lower concentrations of Zn and Mn than clams from the circumneutral lake. Tissue concentrations did not reflect metal levels in the water. Competition may be occurring between metals for binding substrate in clam tissue. Clam size and (or) age successfully predicted tissue metal concentrations, but in a metal-specific and tissue-specific manner. Clam biomonitoring studies should therefore control for size and age variability. Lake buffering capability was not very important in influencing size- and age-specific patterns of tissue metal concentrations. However, this conclusion is based solely on data from two lakes.

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