A Commentary on the Use of Bivalve Mollusks in Monitoring Metal Pollution Levels

Chee Kong Yap, Moslem Sharifinia, Wan Hee Cheng, Salman Abdo Al-Shami, Koe Wei Wong and Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi
Additional contact information
Chee Kong Yap: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Moslem Sharifinia: Shrimp Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bushehr 75169-89177, Iran
Wan Hee Cheng: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Inti International University, Persiaran Perdana BBN, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Salman Abdo Al-Shami: Indian River Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA
Koe Wei Wong: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, P.O. Box 741, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-24

Abstract: The objective of this commentary is to promote the use of bivalves as biomonitors, which is a part of the continual efforts of the International Mussel Watch. This commentary is an additional discussion on “Bivalve mollusks in metal pollution studies: From bioaccumulation to biomonitoring” by Zuykov et al., published in Chemosphere 93, 201–208. The present discussion can serve as a platform for further insights to provide new thoughts and novel ideas on how to make better use of bivalves in biomonitoring studies. The certainty of better and more extensive applications of mollusks in environmental monitoring in the future is almost confirmed but more studies are urgently needed. With all the reported studies using bivalves as biomonitors of heavy metal pollution, the effectiveness of using Mussel Watch is beyond any reasonable doubts. The challenge is the development of more accurate methodologies for of heavy metal data interpretation, and the precision of the biomonitoring studies using bivalves as biomonitors, whether in coastal or freshwater ecosystems. Lastly, inclusion of human health risk assessment of heavy metals in commercial bivalves would make the research papers of high public interest.

Keywords: bivalves; shells; monitoring; chemical pollutants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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