Trace Metals in Mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis from Dakar Coast (Senegal)

Mussel samples from the Dakar coast (Senegal) were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Microwave acid digestion was also employed for metals (Mn, Pb, Cd, As) determination. Dakar coast usually receives numerous domestic and industrial discharges without prior treatment. The contents of Arsenic were, in all cases, higher than other metals. However, the bivalve molluscs present themselves as effective bio-monitors when assessing marine aquatic pollution by contaminants in the Dakar coast. The ANOVA analysis allows concluding that significant differences were found between mussels from different sampling points. In all cases, the February samples have in all cases a higher content than those collected in October.