The Future of Metal Determination in Pollution Studies

At present metal determination in biological systems is hampered by the many variables inherent to animals and plants, e.g., body weight, sex, longevity, moulting, life cycle stage, temperature, food and geographical region. Hence, metal data cannot be extrapolated from one species to another or even within the same species. In contrast, the presence of metal-binding proteins confirms toxic metal pollution: the mere presence of the protein is evidence that energy is being used for detoxification, which otherwise would be channelled into growth or reproduction. Data obtained from remote Marion Island (lat. 55\´S, long. 45\´E), and Gough Island (lat. 18\´S, long. 52\´W.) and from sites in South Africa are used to support the above points. Therefore, it is suggested that future metal pollution studies spend less time on baseline surveys and unrealistic accumulation experiments, but rather concentrate on bioassays of metal binding proteins.