Toxic Elements and Mineral Content of Different Tissues of Endemic Edible Snails (<i>Helix vladika</i> and <i>H. secernenda</i>) of Montenegro
Vesna Vukašinović-Pešić,
Bogumiła Pilarczyk,
Tymoteusz Miller,
Monika Rajkowska-Myśliwiec,
Joanna Podlasińska,
Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak,
Nada Blagojević,
Nevzeta Trubljanin,
Andrzej Zawal,
Vladimir Pešić
Affiliations
Vesna Vukašinović-Pešić
Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Bogumiła Pilarczyk
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbundry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Tymoteusz Miller
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Monika Rajkowska-Myśliwiec
Department of Toxicology, Dairy Technology and Food Storage, Faculty of Food Science and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Joanna Podlasińska
Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbundry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Nada Blagojević
Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Nevzeta Trubljanin
Department of Biology, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Andrzej Zawal
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Vladimir Pešić
Department of Biology, University of Montenegro, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
The objective of the present study is to determine the differences between the mineral content of various organs of Helix vladika and H. secernenda, the two most abundant edible snail species in Montenegro. The bioaccumulation of 12 examined elements (zinc, manganese, copper, aluminum, cadmium, lead, nickel, iron, chromium, lithium, selenium and mercury) was determined in the hepatopancreas, albumen gland, digestive tract, reproductive system, mantle, foot and shell from three sampling sites (Biogradska Gora, Nikšić and Malesija). The examined populations of H. vladika and H. secernenda showed a significant difference in their lithium and selenium contents. The levels of the most examined metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, Al, Cd, Pb, Se and Hg) varied significantly among organs. The digestive tract and hepatopancreas tend to bioaccumulate selenium and cadmium. The general mean concentration of cadmium in the examined snail tissues exceeded the maximum allowable level at the Biogradska Gora and Malesija sites. Therefore, the use of the Montenegrin edible snails collected from the wilderness for human consumption seems to be limited by their higher bioaccumulation capacity for toxic elements such as cadmium.
