"Artificial mussels are devices that can take up pollutants and give an indication of the levels of environmental exposure to these pollutants. We have adapted the mussels to be used in different South African aquatic environments and have placed them in major harbours across the country and in Namibia."
Laboratory gives birth to artificial mussels
The artificial mussels are constructed in a laboratory and consist of a plastic tube that contains small glass beads and a jelly-like substance.
"The gel is permeable, which makes it easy for metal pollutants to move through it and bind to the glass beads," he says.
According to Prof Wepener, the research team has validated the artificial mussels for use in freshwater environments, focusing on specific problematic metals such platinum.
A major project was completed in the Rustenburg area, where the artificial mussels were used to gauge the exposure of the aquatic environment to platinum.
Mussels point out problematic metals
"The manufactured mussel devices are placed in containers. These are put at a site about one metre below the water surface for a period of four to six weeks. They are then retrieved and taken back to the laboratory," Prof Wepener says.
In the laboratory, researchers analyse the glass beads for different problematic metals such as cadmium and mercury, as well as for metals that occur naturally in marine environments, such as arsenic and manganese.
It took the team three to four months to complete this project, from the manufacturing of the mussels to their deployment at the sites, the exposure period and laboratory analysis.
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