Cadmium uptake and depuration in the soft tissues of Brotla hainanensis (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: Thiaridae): A dynamic model

A study was undertaken to examine the uptake of cadmium and its depuration upon transfer to cadmium-free water in a freshwater snail, Brotia hainanensis. A simple 2-compartment model was constructed to describe the dynamic processes of cadmium uptake and depuration in two tissue compartments (foot and viscera) of the snail. Uptake rates of cadmium via the viscera and the foot were 17.96 and 6.92 μg g−1 d−1 respectively. Transfer rate from the viscera to the foot was 0.024 d−1, while the excretion rate from the foot was 0.118 d−1. Provided that the exposure profile is known, the model can be used to predict toxicant concentrations in the tissues of snails exposed to varying environmental concentrations.