ABSTRACT: Echinoids Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) were contaminated under laboratory conditions with Cd (as CdCl₂) either from sea water or from both sea water and food (Posidonia oceanica leaves) simultaneously. The experimental results showed that Cd bioaccumulation in the digestive tract wall and Aristotle's lantern of echinoids contaminated viaboth sea water and food was significantly less (as much as 50%) than when echinoids accumulated Cd from sea water only. The opposite trend was observed for the coelomic fluid of these echinoids. These observations suggest that food containing high Cd concentrations, (1) reduces the efficiency of the digestive tract wall and Aristotle's lantern in taking up Cd from sea water, and (2) could enhance metal depurative activity of the echinoid coelom.

KEY WORDS: Cadmium . Bioaccumulation . Metabolism . Paracentrotus lividus

Published in MEPS Vol. 126 (1995) on October 5
ISSN: 0171-8630. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1995