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Determination of the ventilation rates of interstitial and overlying water by the clam Macoma nasuta
Author(s) -
Winsor Martha H.,
Boese Bruce L.,
Lee Ii Henry,
Randall Robert C.,
Specht David T.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620090211
Subject(s) - pollutant , ventilation (architecture) , intoxicative inhalant , bivalvia , biology , environmental science , ecology , environmental chemistry , toxicology , mollusca , chemistry , meteorology , physics
The ventilation rates of interstitial and overlying water for the deposit‐feeding, tellinid clam Macoma nasuta (Conrad) were determined using two water‐soluble dyes to differentiate between the two water sources. A unique exposure chamber, the clambox, was used to separate the inhalant and exhalant siphons of the clam, allowing measurements of dye fluxes and total water ventilated. The results suggested that interstitial water constituted very little (4%) of the total amount of water ventilated by this clam. Factors that could affect the importance of interstitial water as a pollutant uptake route and how these might vary among pollutants or infaunal species are discussed.