Assessment of heavy metal accumulation in mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and sediment on the coasts of samsun

In this study, the levels of heavy metals (As, Cu, Mn, and Pb) in the Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mediterranean Mussel) and the sediment samples collected from certain stations located at the coasts of the city Samsun in the Black Sea Region were studied. Heavy metal accumulations in the analyzed sediment were found in unit of mg/kg as follows; As: 1.24 - 5.96, Cu: 11.1 - 22.9, Mn: 437 - 585, Pb: 1.04 - 5.29, and the accumulation found in the mussel samples are As: 0.44 - 1.32, Cu: 0.57 - 2.81, Mn: 0.91 - 2.75, Pb: 0.08 - 0.56. As a result, heavy metal concentrations analyzed in mussel and sediment samples collected from 5 stations in Samsun were found to be close to the limit values determined by the communiqué on determining the maximum levels of certain contaminants in foodstuffs included in the Turkish Food Codex (2002) and the limits specified in the Canadian Sediment Quality Directive (1992). However, since As concentrations in mussel samples collected from two stations (OM and BE) were found to be higher than the limit values, it can be said that it may pose a risk in terms of human health. Keywords: Mussel, sediment, heavy metal, pollution, Samsun