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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A heavy metal believed to be benign in the state's coastal waters does in fact pose a threat to the health and survival of oysters, a University of North Carolina at Charlotte scientist says.
The heavy metal cadmium, combined with warming coastal waters, can kill the shellfish or weaken their resistance to disease, according to research led by assistant biology professor Inna Sokolova and published this month in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Oysters in North Carolina's sounds are already in decline due to pollution, overfishing and damaged habitat. Because the shellfish take in nutrients by filtering the water in which they live, oysters from tainted water are dangerous to eat because toxins accumulate in the meat.
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