Samples of the mussel Mytilus edulis were collected from different sites of estuarine and coastal areas of the North Sea and the Baltic. The following elements were determined by IN Ca, Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Ag, Cd, Sn, Cs, Ba, Ta, Eu, Tb, Yb, Hf, Au, Hg, Th. Multielement correlation analysis was used for the evaluation of the data. Differences in trace element patterns are found and described calculating trace element ratios. Regional differences in trace element concentrations are superimposed by typical seasonal variations, with highest concentration levels found in late winter and spring, and lowest in summer and autumn.