Marine bivalves, particularly mussels, Mytilus sp., for assessment of environmental quality

Abstract

Biological effects studies can be used to complement well-established chemical-monitoring programs for determining the healthfulness of environments. Marine bivalves such as Mytilus sp. are widely distributed, vigorous, relatively large, and a dominant species in coastal habitats. In addition their filter-feeding, and sessile adult behavior facilitate sampling of marine environments in studies of the distribution of heavy metals, radionuclides, petroleum hydrocarbons, and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons. Studies have begun to determine whether total body water can be used as an indicator of stress. Antipyrine is a useful indicator for such studies since it is well tolerated and rapidly cleared by the mussels. This body water measurement represents a noninvasive condition index which may be valuable in long-term studies. Studies of the uptake, metabolism, and elimination of antipyrine and the chlorinated insecticide aldrin have shown that mussels have oxidative metabolic capability. This result contrasts with findings of previous investigators and suggests that metabolism should be given careful evaluation in both chemical and biological studies of effects of persistent environmental pollutants.