Metals in estuarine species of a minimally impacted Bay in Texas

Christmas Bay, of the Galveston Bay system, has no point source discharges and minimal non-point contaminant sources. Due to its excellent water quality and habitats, this site was used to obtain baseline or control data for environmental assessments of the Gulf of Mexico coast. A review of the data and discussion of the resources studied for use in environmental assessments is given. Samples were analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium and zinc. Media analyzed included sediments, Crassostrea sp., Callinectes sapidus, Arius, Cynoscion nebulosus, Micropogonius undulatus, Paralichthys lethostigma, and Sciaenops ocellatus. Samples of finfish muscle tissue were taken ( mu g/g wet weight). The following data give ranges of metals commonly detected. Crassostrea sp. had arsenic ranging from 0.53-2.22, cadmium from <0.1-0.4, copper from 3.5-2B.5, nickel < 0.3-1.7, selenium 0.32-0.67, and zinc from 46.3-319 mu g/g. Callinectes had arsenic from 0.85-3.15, copper from < 1.7-14.9, nickel from < 0.3-1.1 , selenium from 0.26-0.74, and zinc from < 20-104.3 mu g/g. Arius had arsenic from 0.77-8.33, copper from < 1.7-0.6, mercury from < 0.1-0.12, and zinc from 8.1-30.5. Cynoscion had arsenic from < 0.13-4.45, cadmium from < 0.1-0.4, copper from < 0.3-0.4, selenium from 0.32-0.61, and zinc from < 2.5-4.7. Micropogonius had arsenic from 0.48-1.87, cadmium from < 0.08-0.6, copper from < 1.7-2.4, nickel from < 3-0.8, selenium from 0.44-0.79, and zinc from 10.3-49.9. Paralichthys had arsenic from <0.13-1.79, cadmium from < 0.08-0.3, copper from < 0.3-0.4, nickel from <0.3-0.9, selenium from 0.16-0.48, and zinc from < 2.5-50.5. Sciaenops had arsenicfrom < 0.13-1.86, copper from <0.3-0.7, nickel from <0.3-0.6, selenium from 0.16-0.43, and zinc from < 2.5-6.8. (DBO)