Assessing chemical contamination in the coastal waters of the Adriatic Sea using active mussel biomonitoring with Mytilus galloprovincialis.

The MYTIAD project focused on the assessment of chemical contamination (metals, PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides) in the Adriatic coastal waters by active mussel watching. Its purpose was harmonising and standardising strategies and methodologies used to assess the contamination status of the Adriatic Sea, in the framework of the WFD, the MSFD and UNEP/MAP Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme. Data on metals pointed out some hotspots along the eastern and western Adriatic Sea coasts, with the highest values of total PAH concentration detected in Split, Trieste, and Taranto (Ionian Sea). PCB and endrin contamination was higher in the Adriatic Sea than in the western Mediterranean Sea. This is the first comprehensive overview of contamination in the Adriatic Sea with critical comparisons of related studies over the Mediterranean Sea. It provides a useful harmonised dataset to support a coordinated definition of baselines, targets and thresholds, and further management of chemical contamination.

Assessing the environmental quality of sediments from Split coastal area (Croatia) with a battery of cell-based bioassays.

A battery of cell-based bioassays, including PLHC-1 cells, zebrafish-Pxr-transfected COS-7 cells and estrogen receptor-recombinant yeast assay (ER-RYA), were applied to detect the presence of bioactive pollutants in sediments collected from Kastela Bay and Brac Channel (Croatia). Exposure of PLHC-1 cells to the sediment extracts evidenced significant cytotoxicity and presence of CYP1A inducers in sediments collected in Kastela Bay, near the industrial zone and cargo port of Split. Sediments from this area, which is highly contaminated with PCBs, HCB, DDTs and γ-HCH, also activated the zebrafish Pxr (zfPxr) reporter system. No evidence of estrogenicity was detected for any of the sediments extracts in the ER-RYA assay. Importantly, the battery of in vitro assays identified Kastela Bay as the area with the higher anthropogenic impact, where sediment-bound pollutants could pose a risk to aquatic organisms. In contrast, sediments from the Brac Channel showed rather low response in the different bioassays.

Assessment of PCB and chlorinated pesticide accumulation in mussels at Kastela Bay (Eastern Adriatic).

The biological response of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis, resident and transplanted to cages, to contamination with anthropogenic pollutants from Kastela Bay, located in the central part of the eastern Adriatic coast, was investigated. The main purpose of this paper is to trace the accumulation of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides (HCB, lindane, heptachlor, aldrin, p,p'-DDTs) as a direct measure of potential contaminant availability to organisms, in a period from 2000 to 2011. In order to do so, cultured mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) of the same size and age were transplanted from the unpolluted Mali Ston Bay to the Kastela Bay. Sampling was performed bimonthly, and the level of target contaminants in whole soft tissue was determined. After two months of exposure, the concentration of PCBs in transplanted mussels increased on average 6.5-times, and of DDTs 2-times, while the intensity of changes for HCB, lindane, heptachlor and aldrin was negligible. Seasonal variation of pesticide content was similar without a significant change throughout the experimental period, while that of PCBs was somewhat different showing increased accumulation in summer. Seasonal and spatial variation of organochlorines in the Kastela Bay was likely the result of prevailing environmental rather than biological parameters. In accordance with prevailing hydrodynamic cycling, contaminant concentration decreased in acyclonic direction towards the exit of the Bay. Measurement of target contaminants in resident mussels sampled from the most contaminated area of the Bay exhibited decreasing concentrations of lindane, aldrin and p,p'-DDTs. However, PCBs exhibited statistically significant increasing concentrations in relation to the slightly increasing concentrations of HCB. With regard to human health, organochlorine (OC) levels in the mussel tissue were below prescribed limits for human consumption.

Polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and trace metals in cultured and harvested bivalves from the eastern Adriatic coast (Croatia).

Polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and trace metals were determined in tissues of bivalve molluscs (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Ostrea edulis, Venus verrucosa, Arca noae and Callista chione), collected from 11 harvesting and 2 cultured locations along the eastern Adriatic coast, in May and November 2012. Concentrations (ng g(-1) dry weight) of organochlorines ranged from 1.53 to 21.1 for PCBs and 0.68 to 5.21 for p,p'-DDTs. HCB, lindane, heptachlor and aldrin-like compounds were found in lower levels or were not detected. Metal concentrations (mg kg(-1) dry weight) ranged from 0.23 to 4.03 for Cd, 0.87-3.43 for Cr, 3.69-202.3 for Cu, 0.06-0.26 for HgT, 0.62-9.42 for Ni, 0.95-4.64 for Pb, and 55.76-4010.3 for Zn. Established organochlorine and trace metal levels were lower than the maximum allowable levels in seafood set by the European Commission.