Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Copper-Induced Ionoregulatory Disturbance, Histopathology, and Transcriptome Responses in Freshwater Mussel (Anodonta woodiana) Gills

Researchers investigated copper toxicity in the freshwater mussel Anodonta woodiana, finding that sublethal exposure caused ionoregulatory disturbance, gill histopathology, and significant transcriptomic changes related to stress response and immune function.

2023 Fishes 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Gene Expression Analysis in Freshwater Mussels (Unio stevenianus) Collected from Pollutant-Associated Environment

Not relevant to microplastics — this study uses freshwater mussels in a Turkish river as biological sentinels of general water pollution by measuring stress-related gene expression levels, without a focus on microplastic contamination.

2023 Menba Kastamonu Üniversitesi Su Ürünleri Fakültesi Dergisi 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Indication of the impact of environmental stress on the responses of the bivalve mollusk Unio tumidus to ibuprofen and microplastics based on biomarkers of reductive stress and apoptosis

Researchers compared freshwater mussels from clean and contaminated sites exposed to microplastics and ibuprofen, finding that chronically stressed populations showed altered biomarker responses for reductive stress and apoptosis, highlighting how environmental history modulates pollutant sensitivity.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

The response of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) exposed to copper-doped zinc nanoparticles

This study is not about microplastics; it examines how copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles affect the physiology and biochemistry of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) used as marine pollution bioindicators.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Mussel: a potential pollution indicator in the aquatic ecosystem and effect of climate change

This review examines the biology and ecology of mussels as environmental indicator organisms, covering how they respond to pollution, temperature, and other stressors including microplastics. Mussels are widely used as bioindicators of marine pollution because they filter large volumes of water and accumulate contaminants including microplastic particles in their tissues.

2020 International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics 6 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Monitoring water contamination through shellfish: A systematic review of biomarkers, species selection, and host response.

Across 20 studies spanning 14 countries, shellfish proved highly sensitive to minor environmental changes, with 26 species and 35 effect biomarkers identified, supporting their use as reliable bioindicators of water quality, though standardized monitoring protocols are still needed.

2025 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Toxic Impact of Polystyrene Microplastics (PS-MPs) on Freshwater Mussel Lamellidens marginalis

Researchers exposed freshwater mussels to polystyrene microplastic fibers for up to 15 days and measured changes in biochemical parameters across multiple tissues. The study found reduced protein levels and enzyme activity changes in gills, hepatopancreas, mantle, and foot tissues, with the integrated biomarker response indicating progressively worsening physiological stress over the exposure period.

2026 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Insights into the Response in Digestive Gland of Mytilus coruscus under Heat Stress Using TMT-Based Proteomics

Researchers investigated how heat stress affects the digestive gland of thick-shelled mussels using advanced protein analysis techniques. They found significant changes in proteins related to immune defense, energy metabolism, and stress response, revealing the biological mechanisms behind heat-related mussel die-offs. While focused on temperature stress, the study provides foundational knowledge about mussel resilience that is relevant to understanding how environmental stressors, including pollutants, affect these important marine organisms.

2023 Animals 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Acute Ammonia Stress on Antioxidant Responses, Histopathology and Ammonia Detoxification Metabolism in Triangle Sail Mussels (Hyriopsis cumingii)

Triangle sail mussels exposed to sub-lethal ammonia concentrations showed antioxidant enzyme activation followed by inhibition, with the highest stress responses in gills and hepatopancreas and histopathological damage suggesting oxidative stress as a key mechanism of ammonia toxicity.

2021 Water 35 citations
Review Tier 2

The use of green mussel as bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in Indonesia: a review

This review covers the use of Asian green mussel Perna viridis as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in Indonesian waters, summarizing studies on metal accumulation in mussel tissue relative to water quality and discussing implications for seafood safety.

2021 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic intake and enzymatic responses in Mytilus galloprovincialis reared at the vicinities of an aquaculture station

Researchers evaluated antioxidant defenses and oxidative stress markers in gills of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) reared near an aquaculture station, finding that microplastics derived from aquaculture activities induced significant enzymatic stress responses.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological effects of contaminants in mussels (Mytilus trossulus) transplanted in northern Baltic Sea coastal areas

This thesis used biomarkers in mussels transplanted to contaminated coastal sites in the northern Baltic Sea to assess the effects of various pollutants on mussel health. The work demonstrates how mussels can serve as sensitive indicators of environmental contamination in coastal areas affected by multiple human activities.

2015 Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Transcriptional Responses as Biomarkers of General Toxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on Metal-Exposed Bivalves

This meta-analysis found that metallothionein and heat shock protein 70 are the most reliable transcriptional biomarkers for detecting metal toxicity in bivalves, showing consistent upregulation across different metal types and concentrations. These biomarkers could improve environmental monitoring of metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of exposure to nanoplastics on the gill of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis: An integrated perspective from multiple biomarkers

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics for seven days and measured multiple gill biomarkers, finding that nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, inhibited acetylcholinesterase, disrupted sodium-potassium ion transport, and impaired energy and lipid metabolism, pointing to broad physiological interference in marine invertebrates.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Mikroplastens intåg i den limnologiska miljön - Allmän dammussla (Anodonta anatina) innehåller mikroplast

This Swedish study exposed freshwater mussels (Anodonta anatina) to microplastics and examined uptake and potential health effects, finding that mussels ingest microplastics and that higher exposures affected their physiology. The study contributes to understanding microplastic impacts on freshwater bivalves that are important for ecosystem function and serve as indicators of water quality.

2017
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, Additives, and Plasticizers in Freshwater Bivalves: Preliminary Research of Biomonitoring

Freshwater mussels (Anodonta cygnea) deployed in three Italian rivers accumulated microplastics primarily in their gills and digestive tracts, with polyamide (nylon) fibers being the most common type found. The study also detected plasticizers and additives within the bivalves, demonstrating that these organisms can serve as effective sentinels for monitoring the full chemical footprint of plastic pollution in river systems.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Population-dependent stress response of bivalve mollusc Unio tumidus to ibuprofen, microplastic and their mixture

Researchers exposed freshwater mussels (Unio tumidus) from both pristine and contaminated populations to ibuprofen, polyethylene microplastics, and their combination for 14 days, comparing antioxidant enzyme responses, oxidative damage markers, and lysosomal stability. They found population-dependent differences in stress responses, with the contaminated population showing more pronounced reactions to ibuprofen and the pristine population responding more strongly to microplastics alone.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Usability of the bivalves Dreissena polymorpha and Anodonta anatina for a biosurvey of the neurotoxin BMAA in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers exposed two freshwater mussel species to the environmental neurotoxin BMAA (linked to neurodegenerative disease) and found that zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) accumulated the toxin faster and at higher concentrations than Anodonta anatina, making them better sentinel species for monitoring freshwater BMAA contamination.

2019 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular mechanisms controlling physiological plasticity in marine mussels under the influence of natural and anthropogenic stress factors

This thesis project investigated the molecular mechanisms that help Mediterranean mussels cope with environmental stress, including both natural factors and emerging pollutants like microplastics. Understanding these stress responses could help predict how marine shellfish will fare as pollution and climate change intensify.

2021
Article Tier 2

Stress responses of bivalve mollusc Unio tumidus from two areas to ibuprofen, microplastic and their mixture

Researchers examined stress responses of freshwater mussels from clean and contaminated sites to ibuprofen, microplastic, and their mixture, finding that population history influenced responses and that mussels from contaminated areas showed greater sensitivity to combined stressors.

2022 Ecotoxicology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Mussels as integrative sentinels of emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

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.

2026 Pesticide biochemistry and physiology
Article Tier 2

Development of a biological early warning system based on the reactions of the bivalve mollusc Pecten jacobeaeus (Linnaeus, 1758) to unfavourable conditions

Researchers investigated the feasibility of using the bivalve mollusc Pecten jacobaeus as a biological indicator in early warning systems for aquatic pollution, conducting four controlled experiments on six specimens to assess shell-closing responses to selected environmental stressors. The study found that Pecten jacobaeus exhibited measurable and consistent behavioral responses to unfavorable conditions, supporting its potential use in biomonitoring systems for detecting aquatic pollutants.

2025 Journal of Biological Studies
Article Tier 2

Cardiac activity in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819) as a biomarker for assessing sea water quality in Boka Kotorska Bay, South Adriatic Sea

The heart rates of Mediterranean mussels were used to assess water quality at three sites in Montenegro's Boka Kotorska Bay, with mussels near the port showing the poorest health. Mussels are widely used as sentinel organisms for microplastic and chemical pollution because they filter large volumes of water and accumulate contaminants.

2019 Mediterranean Marine Science 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Using Biometrics, Behavioral Observations, and Multiple Molecular Techniques to Assess the Impacts of Changes in Temperature and Salinity on the Common Bay Mussel (Mytilus trossulus)

This study used multiple molecular and physiological techniques to assess how the common bay mussel responds to changes in temperature and salinity, providing baseline data for understanding climate change impacts. Mussels are also used as sentinel organisms for monitoring microplastic contamination in coastal waters.

2023