Depuration of bivalve molluscs: a literature review

Abstract

As they have an effective filter-feeding mechanism, bivalve molluscs can be used in the assessment of contamination of marine environments to measure parameters related to microbiological contaminants. Given this public health problem, a depuration system is necessary. This study aimed to conduct a literature review on depuration, the systems used, the water disinfection processes combined with a sanitizing agent, such as chlorine, ultraviolet light (UV) or ozone. Therefore, depuration can be an efficient way to reduce pathogenic bacteria in molluscs, but more studies should be conducted to confirm the efficiency of this process under non-experimental conditions and on an industrial scale.