Variations of organochlorine concentrations in blue mussels associated with season, size and vertical habitat

Abstract

Live speciments of the blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from the southwestern coastal region of Tokyo Bay and examined for seasonal, size-dependent and spatial variations in the concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCs) such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), DDTs (DDT and its metabolites), CHLs (chlordane and related compounds), HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexane isomers) and HCB (hexachlorobenzene). Seasonal variations in OCs concentrations (fat weight base) appeared to reflect the levels in an ambient water rather than seasonal physiological changes of mussels. Neither shell size nor vertical habitation of mussels resulted in significant differences in their concentrations (fat weight base). These results suggest that the variable factors examined did not significantly affect the availability and suitability of mussels as bioindicators for monitoring of contamination with OCs.