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The Chemical and Microbiological Contaminants and Safety of Mussels
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This review examines the range of chemical and microbiological contaminants found in mussels, which are widely consumed seafood and serve as indicators of water quality due to their filter-feeding behavior. Contaminants of concern include heavy metals, microplastics, persistent organic pollutants, PCBs, PFAS, and various pharmaceuticals detected in contaminated coastal waters.
For human consumption, mussels are known as an abundant source of nutrients. As for public health, mussels must be cultivated or harvested in clean regions. Because they obtain their food by filtering water, mussels are an excellent indicator of water contamination. Owing to this, they might include a range of chemical and microbiological contaminants that can be found in contaminated waters, including diclofenac, organochlorine pesticides, dioxins, furans, heavy metals, microplastics, nanomaterials, nanoparticles, persistent organic pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls, perfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and organochlorine compounds. Mussels should also be processed under appropriate conditions after being harvested from clean waters, and their contamination should be prevented. It is thought that it is necessary to carry out controls continuously at every stage, from harvest to consumption, for consumers to reach healthy and reliable mussels. In addition, as this study reported, it is envisaged that information studies on the chemical and microbiological contaminants of mussels and their safety will be important to prevent the formation of disease risks.
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Mussels and Marine Environmental Contaminants
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This book chapter describes the range of pollutants — including microplastics, heavy metals, and organic chemicals — that accumulate in marine environments and how mussels absorb them. Mussels are widely used as sentinel organisms to monitor ocean contamination because they filter large volumes of water. The chapter covers contamination sources, chemical properties, and detection methods.
A systematic review on the prevalence and concentration of MPs in mussels
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This systematic review examines how common microplastics are in mussels, a popular seafood. Since mussels filter large volumes of water, they tend to accumulate microplastics, which means people who eat them may be exposed to these particles through their diet.
Mussels as integrative sentinels of emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.
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Scientists are using mussels like underwater detectors to monitor pollution in our water, including medicines, personal care products, and microplastics that are hard to track with regular testing methods. This research review shows that mussels are excellent at soaking up these pollutants from water over time, giving us a better picture of what contamination exists in our lakes, rivers, and oceans. This matters because these same pollutants can affect the safety of our drinking water and seafood.
Plastic pollution and marine mussels: Unravelling disparities in research efforts, biological effects and influences of global warming
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This review analyzed 106 studies on how plastic pollution, including microplastics, nanoplastics, and chemicals that leach from plastics, affects marine mussels. The research found effects at every biological level, from molecular and cellular damage to changes in behavior and reproduction. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate pollutants and are widely eaten by humans, they serve as both early warning indicators of plastic pollution and a direct pathway for human exposure.
Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis spp.) as sentinel organisms in coastal pollution monitoring: A review
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This review examines the use of blue mussels as sentinel organisms for monitoring coastal water pollution, covering their ability to accumulate a wide range of contaminants including microplastics. Researchers discuss how mussels bioaccumulate pollutants in proportion to environmental levels, making them reliable indicators of water quality. The paper also highlights emerging concerns like nanomaterials and climate change effects on mussel-based monitoring programs.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.