A pilot study of heavy metal accumulations in a barnacle from the Salton Sea, Southern California

Accumulations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Hg and Pb in body tissues and egg masses of Balanus amphitrite were measured with an inductively coupled plasma source mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Barnacles proved to be a good choice as a sentinel species for monitoring of heavy metals. A comparison of their levels in the animals inhabiting the Salton Sea with those from coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean showed that the sea, contrary to expectations, has not been severely contaminated by heavy metals. The accumulations of the metals in barnacle bodies and eggs varied markedly between the stations but appeared least where organic pollution was highest.