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Evaluating Marine Mussels' Lithium, Strontium, and Vanadium Detoxification for Coastal Ecosystem Conservation
 
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1
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
 
2
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, P.O. Box 741, Saudi Arabia
 
 
Submission date: 2024-12-07
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-01-29
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-03-17
 
 
Online publication date: 2025-04-16
 
 
Publication date: 2026-04-21
 
 
Corresponding author
Chee Kong Yap   

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
 
 
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(2):2995-3005
 
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
The green-lipped mussel Perna viridis, transplanted from the polluted Kg. Pasir Puteh (KPP) to relatively unpolluted sites at Sungai Belungkor (SB) and Kg. Sg. Melayu (KSM) was examined for lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), and vanadium (V) depuration kinetics. After six weeks of depuration, v levels were found to have the greatest decline (41.7% at SB and 38.9% at KSM). The present study also demonstrated significant declines for Li (20.5% and 24.1%) and Sr (26.7% and 21.7%) at the locations. The estimated daily intake and target hazard quotient values showed that P. viridis detoxifies the bioaccumulated Li, Sr, and V by reducing human health risks. This is also well supported by the lower percentages between the comparison of estimated weekly intake and the provisional tolerated weekly intake of the three metals. These findings highlight the species' heavy metal biomonitor potential. Depuration rates vary by site, indicating unique environmental circumstances and the need for customized conservation efforts. These findings could affect conservation, especially given climate change. Due to rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification, coastal ecosystems are already stressed, which might increase harmful metal bioavailability. Metal pollution monitoring and management are crucial to ecosystem health and food security in Southeast Asian coastal regions like Peninsular Malaysia, which are prone to these changes. This work will help create adaptive conservation techniques to reduce pollution's effects on biodiversity and human health in rapidly changing ecosystems.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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