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. 2017 Jun 14;7(1):3475.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03381-w.

Spatio-temporal variability of trace elements fingerprints in cockle (Cerastoderma edule) shells and its relevance for tracing geographic origin

Fernando Ricardo  1 , Tânia Pimentel  2 , Luciana Génio  2 , Ricardo Calado  3
Affiliations

Spatio-temporal variability of trace elements fingerprints in cockle (Cerastoderma edule) shells and its relevance for tracing geographic origin

Fernando Ricardo et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Understanding spatio-temporal variability of trace elements fingerprints (TEF) in bivalve shells is paramount to determine the discrimination power of this analytical approach and secure traceability along supply chains. Spatio-temporal variability of TEF was assessed in cockle (Cerastoderma edule) shells using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Four elemental ratios (Mg/Ca, Mn/Ca, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca) were measured from the shells of specimens originating from eight different ecosystems along the Portuguese coast, as well as from four different areas, within one of them, over two consecutive years (2013 and 2014). TEF varied significantly in the shells of bivalves originating from the eight ecosystems surveyed in the present study. Linear discriminant function analyses assigned sampled cockles to each of the eight ecosystems with an average accuracy of 90%. Elemental ratios also displayed significant differences between the two consecutive years in the four areas monitored in the same ecosystem. Overall, while TEF displayed by cockle shells can be successfully used to trace their geographic origin, a periodical verification of TEF (>6 months and <1 year) is required to control for temporal variability whenever comparing specimens originating from the same area collected more than six months apart.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sampling locations of Cerastoderma edule in mainland Portugal: (a) Ria de Aveiro (RAv; M1:40°38′26.30″N, 8°43′58.90″W; M2: 40°35′58.30″N, 8°44′47.80″W; I: 40°38′35.40″N, 8°41′35.40″W and E: 40°39′′48.50″N, 8°41′45.03″W), (b) Óbidos lagoon (OL1: 39°25′20.34″N, 9°13′14.54″W and OL2: 39°24′2.01″N, 9°12′30.91″W), (c) Tagus estuary (TE1: 38°39′27.44″N, 9°6′35.95″W and TE2: 38°44′5.18″N, 9°0′46.54″W), Albufeira lagoon (AL1: 38°30′36.67″N, 9°10′32.96″W and AL2: 38°31′1.33″N, 9°9′53.16″W) and Sado estuary (SE1: 38°27′46.00″N, 8°51′32.00″W and SE2: 38°29′13.25″N, 8°48'52.79″W) (d) Mira estuary (ME: 37°43′30.60″N, 8°46′15.40″W), (e) Ria de Alvor (RAl: 37°07′55.7″N, 8°37′27.40″W) and (f) Ria Formosa (RF1: 37°00'23.20″N, 7°59′28.40″W and 37°01'24.30″N, 7°49′49.50″W). The map was created using the software ArcGIS v10.2.2.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ratios of trace elements to Calcium (Ca) concentrations (mmol to mol) (average ± SD; n = 10) of Cerastoderma edule shells from eight ecosystems along the Portuguese coast: Ria de Aveiro (RAv), Óbidos lagoon (OL), Tagus estuary (TE), Albufeira lagoon (AL), Sado estuary (SE), Mira estuary (ME), Ria de Alvor (RAl) and Ria Formosa (RF). Different letters on different ecosystems represent the existence of significant differences for each trace element ratio (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of cockles based on trace elements fingerprints of shells collected from eight different ecosystems along the Portuguese coast: Ria de Aveiro (RAv), Óbidos lagoon (OL), Tagus estuary (TE), Albufeira lagoon (AL), Sado estuary (SE), Mira estuary (ME), Ria de Alvor (RAl) and Ria Formosa (RF).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Evolution of elemental ratios of Mg, Mn, Ba and Sr in trace elements fingerprints (TEF) of cockle shells from 2013 to 2014 in areas: Mira Channel (M1 and M2), Ílhavo Channel (I) and Espinheiro Channel (E). The dotted lines represent significant differences in the elemental ratio between years (p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Tukey plot with black lines indicating significant differences in elemental ratios of trace elements fingerprints in cockle shells among areas within Ria de Aveiro (ANOVA, Tukey test comparisons, p < 0.05) over two consecutively years (2013 and 2014).
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