Heavy metals in long-lived Mytilidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) from Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan, Primorsky Krai

Heavy metal content in long-lived bivalves of the family Mytilidae in the Vostok Bay, Modiolus kurilensis and Crenomytilus grayanus is considered. These species prefer diff erent types of substrate, soft and hard, respectively. It is shown these mytilids contain metals in quantities close to the background concentrations of metals in the same species from the Peter the Great Bay. An increase in Cu concentrations and a decrease in Pb concentrations in both species is recorded at several stations compared to the background concentrations established according to 1990 data. From the standpoint of sanitary regulations of the Russian Federation, no excess levels of metal content are observed in these mytilids. The results obtained indicate the need to continue ecological monitoring of the bay using the indicated methods to obtain comparable data and observation of noted trends.