Freshwater Mussels as Sentinels for Safe Drinking Water Supply in Europe

Abstract

In the context of the European Union (EU) Drinking Water Directive, freshwater mussels (Order Unionoida: Bivalvia) can help us face the challenges of safe drinking water provisions for all citizens in the EU. Specifically, the implementation of high frequency noninvasive (HFNI) valvometers allows the early detection of eventual pollution events in drinking water treatment plants. Currently real-time behavioral analysis is deployed in a number of EU countries, and we foresee a bright future as new technological advances are developed concerning HFNI valvometers.