Heavy Metal Concentrations of Sediment and Ruditapes philippinarum Inhabited in the Intertidal Zone of Kwangyang Bay

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent of heavy metals(As, Pb, Cd, Hg)accumulated in sediments of the Kwangyang Bay, and to investigate bioaccumulation of heavy metals(As, Pb, Cd, Hg) in shellfish(Ruditapes philippinarum) commonly found in the intertidal zone of the Kwangyang Bay. The data was also compared with that of Namhae and Kohung intertidal zones, which were regarded as control stations in this study. Substantial geographical variations in heavy metal concentrations in the sediment samples were found. However, heavy metal concentrations in the sediment collected from the intertidal zones of Yochon(stations I, J) and Myodo(stations G, H) close to Yochon Industrial Area exhibited relatively higher heavy metal concentrations, compared to those from other intertidal zones(stations A, B, C) adjacent to POSCO at Kwangyang Bay. In addition, stations A, B, C showed lower heavy metal concentrations in the sediments than controls(K, L). The annual mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the shellfish from the stations(G, H, I, J) were significantly higher than those from other stations(A, B, C, D, E, F). Nevertheless, heavy metal accumulation in sediments was not reflected in bioaccumulation of heavy metals in shellfish, probably indicating that interactions between the heavy metals in sediment and shellfish might be poor in the current study area, Kwangyang Bay.