Toxic mineral elements in Mytilus galloprovincialis from Sicilian coasts (Southern Italy)

Gaetano Cammilleriab , Paola Galluzzoa* , Andrea Pulvirentib, Innocenzo Ezio Giangrossoa, Gianluigi Maria Lo Dicoa, Giovanna Montanac, Nadia Lampiasic, Maria Alessandra Mobiliad, Antonio Lastraa, Mirella Vazzanae, Antonio Vellaa, Pietro La Placaa , Andrea Macalusoa & Vincenzo Ferrantelliaa Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, Palermo, Italy; b Dipartimento Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; c Istituto di Biomedicina ed Immunologia Molecolare “Alberto Monroy”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Palermo, Italy; d Freelance Medical Doctor, Messina, Italy; e Dipartimento STEBICEF, Università degli studi di Palermo, Palermo, ItalySupplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2019.1610963.CONTACT Paola Galluzzo paola.galluzzo82@gmail.comAbstractWe assessed the relationship between V, Cr, Mn, Hg, As, Cd, Sn, Sb and Pb concentrations in Mytilus galloprovincialis samples from the coasts of Sicily and the expression of metallothioneins. Toxic mineral elements assessment was carried out by A.A. Spectrometry and ICP-MS. The metallothioneins expression was performed by q-PCR method. Low metals’ levels were found in the mussel samples examined, in comparison with what was reported in literature. The highest mean values of toxic mineral elements were found in Gela (Cr 0.178 ± 0.03 mg/Kg, Mn 4.325 ± 0.012 mg/Kg, As 3.706 ± 0.009 mg/Kg, Sn 0.148 ± 0.014 mg/Kg, Sb 0.009 ± 0.004 mg/Kg e Pb 0.364 ± 0.01 mg/Kg). Significant levels of Hg were found in samples from Catania (0.014 ± 0.005 mg/Kg). Only vanadium and lead concentrations showed significant differences between sampling areas (p < 0.05). Molecular analysis verified a basal expression of Mt1 and the absence of over-expression of Mt2, confirming the low mineral’s concentrations found in the samples examined.