Meeting Abstract
P2.19 Jan. 5 Distribution of Manganese in the Oyster ssostrea virginicased in Jamaica Bay, NY and Its Accumulations in Oysters Acutely Exposed to High Levels MURRAY, Soren; ALICIA, Lovell; CARROLL, Margaret A.*; CATAPANE, Edward J.; Kingsborough Community College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College; Medgar Evers College margie@mec.cuny.edu
Manganese (Mn) is a neurotoxin which induces Parkinson Disease symptoms in individuals exposed to high levels. Individuals may developed mental and emotional disturbances and slow and clumsy body movements termed “manganism.” It occurs because too much Mn injures dopaminergic neurons in the brain that helps control body movements. Crassostrea virginica is a sessile marine bivalve, identified by the EPA as a test animal for studying marine pollutants. It has a simple nervous system with monoaminergic neurons and biogenic amines. We sought to determine tissue levels of Mn in oysters raised in Jamaica Bay, NY for 2 years and if acute exposure of to Mn would increases tissue levels in oysters obtained from an oyster farm. Animals were acutely exposed to 10 mM of Mn by removing 1 shell and maintaining them in individual containers of aerated artificial sea water at 18�C for 3 days were determined. Controls were similarly treated without Mn. Cerebral ganglia, visceral ganglia, gill, mantle, adductor muscle, stomach and palps of were dissected, dried and digested in nitric acid. Mn was measured using electrothermal vaporization with deuterium lamp background correction in a Perkin Elmer AA800 Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer with a THGA graphite furnace. Mn was distributed in the tissues of untreated animals in µg/g dw amounts, with palps and gill having the highest. Treated animals accumulated a 100 fold increase of Mn in gill and palps, and a doubling in ganglia. The study shows sessile marine invertebrates can accumulate high levels of Mn, which may cause neuortoxic effects and that C. virginica is a suitable test animals in which to study the mechanism of Mn uptake into tissues.
