Fitness Evaluation of Ruditapes philippinarum Exposed to Ni

In this study, long-term effects of Ni, a widespread heavy metal in the aquatic ecosystems, have been determined on growth and lethality of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum, a known bioindicator of the marine environment. Three/four-month-old bivalves have been exposed to different concentrations of Ni dissolved in synthetic seawater. Growth and lethality as endpoints after 28 days of treatment have been observed. Obtained results are the following: EC25 = 3.97 +/- 0.94 and 9.45 +/- 1.59 mg/L and NOEC = 1.56 and 6.25 mg/L for growth and mortality, respectively. Moreover, this study can be considered a new tool for the evaluation of fitness of bivalve clam, together with other biological responses following to the biological impacts of metal pollution.