Marine ecosystems are frequently exposed to a variety of chronic and acute pollutants derived from anthropogenic production and consumption activities. Mussels are sessile (can provide location-specific information), medium-sized (have enough tissue matrix for chemical analysis) filter-feeders (show accumulation of pollutant chemicals from seawater). These biological and ecological characteristics make mussels virtually ideal for pollution monitoring. In this study, Korean mussels (Mytilus coruscus) were collected from nine different sites situated along the coasts of the western sea to the eastern sea of Korea in 2017. Total mercury concentration was highest (mean ± standard error, 92.7 ± 3.5 ng/g dry) on Baengnyeongdo Island in the western sea, and the sites in the southern sea showed the lowest mean concentrations (42.3 - 44.5 ng/g dry). These results were discussed in terms of possible pollution sources.

Abstract
 1. 서 론
 2. 재료 및 방법
  2.1. 시료 채취
  2.2. 채취 시료 특성치 측정 및 분석용 시료조제
  2.3. 총수은 분석
  2.4. 통계 분석
 3. 결과 및 고찰
  3.1. 지점별 홍합 생체특성치 비교
  3.2. 홍합의 크기에 따른 총수은 농도 비교
  3.3. 지점별 홍합의 총수은 농도 비교
 4. 결 론
 REFERENCES

• 이수용(국립환경과학원 자연환경연구과) | Soo Yong Lee (Environment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) Corresponding author
• 이장호(국립환경과학원 자연환경연구과) | Jangho Lee (Environment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)