-- [ From: Rattray, Robin * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --

Dear All,

I hope this is an appropriate question for
this list. I am not a collector, but an analytical
chemist and a researcher at the University of the
West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.
We have been asked to  measure levels of mercury in
exports of Queen Conch from Jamaica to satisfy
European Union import standards.
We are doing the analyses quite easily, but as a research
scientist I am more interested in potential for publication
of these results. We will be adding  a suite of about 7 other
elements to the analysis, including Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead,
Zinc, and Selenium. I am particularly interested since we
have found unusually high levels of some of these elements
in soils and sediments in Jamaica.

I am wondering if there has been any previous work in this
area, such as a database of heavy elements in molluscs that
could serve as a comparison dataset. Of course I will also be
using the conventional literature search channels to try to
turn up any relevant information.

Thanks for any advice that any list member may
be able to provide.

Robin.

--
Robin Rattray                                     Tel: (876)927-1777
International Centre for                                 (876) 935-8532-3
Environmental and Nuclear Sciences                   Fax: (876) 977-0768
University of the West Indies                      [log in to unmask]
Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica W.I.