en Bioavailability and Variability of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu Pollution in Soft Tissues and Shell of Saccostrea cucullata Collected from the Coast of Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf, Iran تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <b>Background: </b>Marine pollution is a global environmental problem that its monitoring by ideal biomonitors is of great importance. Marine organisms, especially mussels, have the ability to accumulate metals from the environment they can be considered as a biomonitoring agent. <br><b>Methods:</b> In this study, concentrations of heavy metals were measured in Saccostrea cucullata collected from seven sites on Qeshm Island's Coast. To achieve a digesting sample, each soft tissue was obtained and each of the shell homogeneous powders, 0.8 g and 1 g, respectively, were mixed with 10 mL HNO3 (69%) and poured into a PTFE digestion vessel. The prepared samples were evaluated for Cd, Cu, and Zn by using a flame AAS Model 67OG and for Pb by using a graphite furnace AAS. <br><b>Results: </b>The distributions of metals between soft tissues and shells were compared in each sampling site. For seven sites, Cd, Zn, and Cu levels in soft tissues were higher than in the shells, but Pb level was higher in the shells than in the soft tissues. In addition, the results indicated the coefficient of variation (CV) in the soft tissues was lower than the shells for Cd, and in the shells lower than the soft tissues for Pb, whereas the CV values were different in both the soft tissues and shells for Zn and Cu. <br><b>Conclusion:</b> The results of this study support using these materials in S. cucullata for biomonitoring. Shells are appropriate for monitoring Pb contamination, and the soft tissues are more apt for monitoring Cd, Zn, and Cu contamination. Biomonitoring, Heavy Metals, Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island, Saccostrea cucullata. Biomonitoring, Heavy Metals, Persian Gulf, Qeshm Island, Saccostrea cucullata. 836 841 http://ijt.arakmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2-121&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Ali Kazemi علی کاظمی 10031947532846002343 10031947532846002343 No Department of Environmental Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Department of Environmental Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Alireza Riyahi Bakhtiari علیرضا ریاحی بختیاری riahi@modares.ac.ir 10031947532846002344 10031947532846002344 Yes Department of Environmental Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Department of Environmental Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Asma Mohammad Karami اسما محمدکرمی 10031947532846002345 10031947532846002345 No Department of Marine Biology Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Department of Marine Biology Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Behnam Haidari بهنام حیدری 10031947532846002346 10031947532846002346 No Department of Environmental Pollution, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khouzestan, Iran. Department of Environmental Pollution, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khouzestan, Iran. Nabiallah Kheirabadi نبی اله خیرآبادی 10031947532846002347 10031947532846002347 No Department of Marine Biology Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Department of Marine Biology Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran.