The Elizabeth River is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  It historically has been one of the most polluted waterways in the United States.  Plants, fish, and shellfish in the Elizabeth River often are used as biomarkers to determine the success of various remediation efforts that have been attempted.  The purpose of the present study was to determine the concentration of certain heavy metals in the soft tissue and shells of Eastern Oysters (<i>Crassostrea virginica</i>) from select locations in the Elizabeth River.  Multiple oyster samples were taken from reefs located at Baines’ Creek, Blow’s Creek, Gilligan’s Creek, and the Norfolk International Terminal, all of which are located at sites in the Elizabeth River that have been exposed to metal pollution in the past.  After being selected for equivalent biological condition, the oyster bodies were separated from the shells.  Both portions were cleaned, and then dissolved in a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.  The resulting fluid was filtered and then analyzed by ICP-OES to determine metal content.  All locations showed a record of exposure to metal contamination, some more heavily than others.  Oyster bodies from the Norfolk International Terminal showed the highest body concentrations of lead, cadmium, and arsenic.  The metal concentrations in the oyster shells did not resemble what was observed in the bodies, indicating that the shells serve as poor biomarkers of the portion that might be consumed by humans and other animals.  The high concentrations of toxic heavy metals found in many samples indicate that all the locations studied in the Elizabeth River are areas for concern, though only some of them have so far been designated as such.<br/>

Oysters from locations in the Elizabeth River show elevated heavy metal concentrations

254th National Meeting (2017)

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