Physico-chemical characterization of water and metallic contamination of Mytilus galloprovincialis in the coastal zone of Saidia

Laboratory of Agricultural Production Improvement, Biotechnology and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed First, 717, 60000 Oujda, Morocco.

^* Corresponding author: kasmikhaoula77@gmail.com

Abstract

Water is a vital natural resource for life. The metal pollution of aquatic ecosystems is increasing due to the effects of urbanization and industrialization. As a result, heavy metals contamination has become a serious threat to public health because of their toxicity, long persistence, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in the food chain. This investigation aims to evaluate seawater's Physico-chemical quality and assess the contamination risks of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels by Cadmium, Zinc, Iron, and Copper. The study was carried out in three stations of Saidia coast during July 2019. The seawater was analyzed for its Physico-chemical parameters, and ICP-AES determined the heavy metals content in mussels. The results show that the tested water has a pH value ranging between 7.48-7.62 with nitrate and nitrite content range between 0-4.78 mg/L, 0.007-0.181 mg/L, respectively. The recorded water conductivity and oxydability values ranged from 22 to 55 mS/cm and from 5.67 to 10.47 mg/L. The mean concentration found in the mussels were in decreasing order, Iron (13.5 mg/kg), Zinc (2.3 mg/kg), Copper (0.65 mg/kg) and Cadmium (0.02 mg/kg), respectively. The obtained results indicate that all values are below the threshold recommended by Food and agriculture organization and world health organization.