Histopathological Alterations of the Mantle of Mytilus galloprovincialis from the Ria of Vigo (NW Spain): Effect of Persistent Chemicals?
We discovered a significant correlation between levels of persistent pollutants accumulated in tissues and neoplastic disease development in the gonad (mantle tissue) of Mytilus galloprovincialis, as shown by histopathological changes in this tissue. The persistent chemicals measured in mussel tissues included mutagenic PAH’s and dioxin-like PCB’s. Other studies (Au et al. 2003; Aarab et al. 2004; Sch¨afer and K¨ohler 2009) have suggested that persistent chemicals, such as these, may result in decreased fertility in invertebrates. Our results suggest that further experimental studies are warranted to establish cause-effect relationships between exposure to persistent chemicals and the reproductive capacity of cultured mussels.