Study of the distribution of trace elements in six species of marine organisms of the Ligurian Sea (north-western Mediterranean)--comparison with previous findings.

This paper presents the results of the determination of several trace elements (total and organic mercury, selenium, cadmium, lead, copper, manganese and zinc) in six species of marine organisms (Nephrops norvegicus, Engraulis encrasicolus, Mullus barbatus, Mullus surmuletus, Merluccius merluccius, and Sarda sarda), sampled in the Ligurian Sea (North-West Mediterranean) during a three-year period, from 1998 to 2000. The species analysed (388 samples) are the same studied in previous investigations in the same area (260 samples), so that a comparison with previous data measured in 1977-1986 was possible, in order to evaluate the variation of the marine environment in that area with respect to that period. Biological parameters of the specimens (length and weight of the individuals, and also sex for N.

Trace elements in the muscle of red shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Ligurian sea (NW Mediterranean): variations related to the reproductive cycle.

Concentrations of total and organic mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, iron, manganese and zinc were determined in the muscular tissue of 135 specimens of Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) collected during a 3-year period in the Ligurian sea (NW Mediterranean). The aim of the present work was to study the relationships between the concentrations of these trace elements and the main biological parameters characterising the organisms, i.e.