Influence of biological factors on concentrations of metals in the tissues of freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata and Lampsilis radiata radiata) from the St. Lawrence River

1996 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L Metcalfe-Smith ◽  
Roger H Green ◽  
Lee C Grapentine
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
St Lawrence River

Occurrence of chironomid larvae (Paratanytarsus sp.) as commensals of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis)

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 1159-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mantle Cavity ◽  
Dreissena Bugensis ◽  
Chironomid Larvae ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Dreissenid Mussels ◽  
First Case ◽  
St Lawrence River

Up to 38% of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and 10% of quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) collected from the upper St. Lawrence River in July 1993 were invaded by larvae of the tanytarsine chironomid Paratanytarsus sp. Third- and fourth-instar larvae were found living in the mantle cavity around the gills, gonads, and siphonal tissues. The larvae were never observed feeding on these tissues, and no tissue damage was detected. Most frequently, a single Paratanytarsus sp. larva occurred in a mussel; otherwise, two to six larvae were found. Invaded mussels were significantly larger than co-occurring non-invaded mussels. No chironomid larvae were found in young-of-the-year dreissenids. This is the first case of a large-scale endosymbiotic association, apparently a form of inquiline commensalism, between chironomid larvae and dreissenid mussels. Paratanytarsus sp. larvae also occurred in unionid bivalves (Elliptio complanata, Lampsilis radiata, Anodonta cataracta), but at relatively lower frequencies.

An in situ assessment of mercury contamination in the Sudbury River, Massachusetts, using transplanted freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata)

2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1103-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Beckvar ◽  
Sandra Salazar ◽  
Michael Salazar ◽  
Ken Finkelstein
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mercury Contamination ◽  
Textile Dye ◽  
Tissue Concentrations ◽  
Mussel Tissue ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Total Hg ◽  
Growth Differences

Freshwater mussels (Elliptio complanata) were transplanted into the Sudbury River, Massachusetts, to evaluate the bioavailability of total Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg) and the potential impacts to resident species. The principal Hg source is the Nyanza Superfund site, a former textile dye production facility. Mussels (initial tissue concentrations = 640 ng Hg·g dry weight-1 and 120 ng MeHg·g dry weight-1) were transplanted to eight locations in the Sudbury River watershed for 12 weeks. Tissue total Hg concentration increased significantly in mussels at the station closest to the Nyanza site (950 ng Hg·g dry weight-1). Mussel growth, which increased downstream with distance away from the site, was significantly negatively correlated with tissue concentrations of total Hg (r = -0.95) and positively correlated with average temperature (r = 0.85). Due to growth differences, uptake was best assessed by changes in content. Tissue total Hg and MeHg burdens were greatest in mussels at two stations closest to the Nyanza site, with less Hg accumulated in downstream mussels. However, the MeHg content in mussel tissue increased significantly at all Sudbury River stations, indicating that MeHg was bioavailable in all portions of the river evaluated.

Occurrence of Butyltin Compounds in Freshwater Mussels (Elliptio complanata) from Contaminated Aquatic Areas in Ontario, Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 805-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Yang ◽  
R. James Maguire ◽  
Yiu K. Chau
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Mussel Tissue ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Antifouling Agent ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
One Year ◽  
Butyltin Compounds

Abstract The antifouling agent tributyltin (TBT) is extremely toxic to some aquatic organisms. The accumulation of butyltin compounds in the tissues of freshwater mussels from contaminated areas in Ontario was studied in the field with caged mussels (Elliptio complanata). Mussels were placed in four sites for 11 months, and one site for 6 months, in locations of previous contamination of water and sediments. Additional cages were exposed for 5 months at two of the sites to study the effect of mussel size on accumulation. The mussels were collected at regular intervals for butyltin analysis. After almost one year of exposure at four locations, the TBT contents in tissue of mussels were 9 to 148 ng as Sn/g (wet weight). The results showed that concentrations of TBT in mussels were related to the mussel size and the concentrations of TBT in contaminated aquatic areas, and that concentrations in mussel tissue increased dramatically over winter. The results of the experiment demonstrated that caged mussels are useful for indicating the presence of TBT in aquatic systems.

scholarly journals The Influence of Surface Coatings of Silver Nanoparticles on the Bioavailability and Toxicity to Elliptio complanata Mussels

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Auclair ◽  
P. Turcotte ◽  
C. Gagnon ◽  
C. Peyrot ◽  
K. J. Wilkinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Silver Nanoparticles ◽  
Digestive Gland ◽  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Exposure Period ◽  
Surface Coatings ◽  
Air Exposure ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Branched Polyethylenimine ◽  
Dna Strand

Nanomaterials could be modified with various coatings which could modulate their behavior in the environment, bioavailability and toxicity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the selected coatings of silver nanoparticles (nAg) could influence the fate, bioavailability, and toxicity toward suspension feeding freshwater mussels, Elliptio complanata. Mussels were exposed for 96 h to 50 μg/L of nAg with the following surface coatings: citrate, silicate (Si), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and branched polyethylenimine (bPEI). After the exposure period, mussels were analyzed for total Ag, resistance to air emersion, oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and autophagosome protein uptake (protein ubiquitinylation) in gills and digestive glands. The data revealed that citrate- and PVP-coated nAg were 2 times more abundant in the digestive gland compared to bPEI- and Si-coated nAg with estimated bioaccumulation factors between 5 and 10. The data revealed that tissue Ag levels were closely associated with air survival time, weight loss during air exposure, DNA strand breaks, LPO, and protein-ubiquitin levels in the digestive gland. The data supports the hypothesis that the coatings could influence bioavailability and toxicity in freshwater mussels.

Ageing studies on three species of freshwater mussels from a metal-polluted watershed in Nova Scotia, Canada

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 1284-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L. Metcalfe-Smith ◽  
Roger H. Green
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Shell Length ◽  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Freshwater Mussels ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Elliptio Complanata ◽  
Growth Bands ◽  
Mussel Shells ◽  
Age Estimates

Freshwater mussels are increasingly used to monitor metal pollution in freshwater systems. Mussels are long-lived, and age is a factor that may influence metal concentrations in their tissues. Species that can be precisely aged are most suitable for biomonitoring because they can be standardized for this factor. Precise age estimates are also needed for determining the effects of contamination on population parameters such as growth rate. Elliptio complanata, Anodonta implicata, and Alasmidonta undulata (family Unionidae) were collected from two Nova Scotia lakes contaminated with arsenic and mercury. Mussel shells were weighed, measured, and sectioned, and two independent counts of internal growth bands were made. External rings were also counted for A. implicata. Age estimates based on internal bands were most precise for E. complanata (r2 = 0.71 vs. 0.35 for A. implicata and 0.29 for A. undulata). Estimates based on external rings were more precise (r2 = 0.69) than those based on internal bands for A. implicata, but were believed to include disturbance rings. Shell length and weight were similarly correlated with age for a given species and population, but relationships were less clear in the lake with the more variable habitat. Elliptio complanata were much smaller at a given age in the more contaminated lake.

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