ENIVRONMENT ASIA

Volume 12, No. 02, Month MAY, Year 2019, Pages 164 - 171

Metallothionein as a biomarker of heavy metal (cd, cu, zn, pb, hg, ni, cr) pollution in hermit crab (clibanarius signatus)

Mohammad Talebi Matin, Ali Mashinchian, Mahmood Sinaei, and Shahla Jamili

Abstract Download PDF

A field study was conducted to assess the potential use of metallothionein (MT) as a useful biomarker of heavy metal exposure. Hermit crab (Clibanarius signatus) were collected from ten sites from the northern coast of the Sea of Oman. Chemical analyses included the assessment of the heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ni, Cr) in hermit crab hepatopancreas. MT levels were determined by Spectrophotometeric method. Zn had the highest concentration followed by Cu> Cr> Ni> Pb> Cd> and Hg. The results of spatial evaluation indicated that heavy metals and MT biosynthesis were significantly different (p<0.05) among sampling sites. In addition, significant correlations were found between heavy metal levels and selected biomarker (p<0.01). The obtained results suggest that MT in C. signatus was heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ni, Cr) inducible and could be useful as a first investigation into the biological effects of heavy metal pollution in coastal areas.

Keywords

Biomarker; Clibanarius signatus; Metallothionein; Sea of Oman

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