This investigation evaluated the bioaccumulation potential of the tropical estuarine bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa for trace metals. To this aim, chemical and sedimentological analyses and bioaccumulation tests were performed. The sediments were mainly composed by fine-sands and mud, with variable levels of organic matter and CaCO₃. Muddy sediments from a depositional site (P2) presented the highest concentrations of metals, despite SEM/AVS not indicating bioavailability. Bioaccumulation factors showed high ratios for Cd, Ni, and Zn, while associations between the contents of mud, organic matter, CaCO₃ and metals in sediments and tissues of A. flexuosa were indicated by a principal component analysis. The SEM/AVS was not effective to predict the bioavailability through dissolved metals. The results showed that contaminants were bioavailable, while the performed bioaccumulation test proved to be a reliable technique for assessing sediment contamination in estuarine regions. Moreover, A. flexuosa was considered an adequate test organism for bioaccumulation studies.

该调查评估了热带河口双壳类动物Anomalocardia flexuosa对痕量金属的生物积累潜力。为此，进行了化学和沉积学分析以及生物积累试验。沉积物主要由细砂和泥组成，有机质和CaCO ₃含量不等。来自沉积地点 (P2) 的泥泞沉积物呈现出最高浓度的金属，尽管 SEM/AVS 未表明生物利用度。生物富集因子显示 Cd、Ni 和 Zn 的比例较高，而A. flexuosa 的沉积物和组织中的泥、有机质、CaCO ₃和金属含量之间的关联由主成分分析表明。SEM/AVS 不能有效地通过溶解金属预测生物利用度。结果表明污染物是生物可利用的，而进行的生物累积试验证明是评估河口地区沉积物污染的可靠技术。此外，A. flexuosa被认为是用于生物积累研究的适当测试生物。