The interactive effects of cadmium and mercury pollution on allozyme polymorphisms in the marine gastropod Cerithium scabridum

The separate and interactive pollution effects of cadmium and mercury on the electrophoretically detected allozyme frequencies of eight gene loci were tested in the marine gastropod Cerithium scabridum . The authors' results indicate differential survivorship of allozyme genotypes specific for each type of pollutants and for their interaction. These results reflect the adaptive nature of at least some allozymic genotypes in this marine gastropod and seem inconsistent with the neutral theory of allozyme polymorphisms. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the interactive pollution of cadmium and mercury acts as a specific pollutant. Therefore, differential tolerance to pollution can be used as detector of heavy metal pollution in the sea also when more than one pollutant is involved.