title: Assessment of pollution in the Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia) by the combined use of chemical and biochemical markers in mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis.
abstract: In order to assess the environmental quality of the Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia), biomarker and contaminant levels were measured in Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from five selected sites. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were quantified in whole body and enzyme activities such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in gills. Despite the relatively low levels of organic contaminants, the selected biomarkers responded differently according to the pollution level at the different sites. GST and AChE activities were correlated with the amount of DDTs in mussel tissues. These two enzymatic activities were also correlated to temperature and pH. No significant difference was observed for CAT activity. Principal component analysis showed a clear separation of sampling sites in three different assemblages which is consistent with POP body burden in mussels. Our results confirmed the usefulness of combining biomarker and chemical analyses in mussels to assess chemical pollution in the Bizerte lagoon.
authors.affiliation: University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (05/UR/12-03), 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia; University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR EPOC 5805, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Badreddine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barhoumi
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR EPOC 5805, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Karyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Le Menach
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR EPOC 5805, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clérandeau
authors.affiliation: University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (05/UR/12-03), 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Walid Ben
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ameur
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR EPOC 5805, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Budzinski
authors.affiliation: University of Carthage, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Laboratory of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (05/UR/12-03), 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Ridha
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Driss
authors.affiliation: University of Bordeaux, CNRS, UMR EPOC 5805, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence Cedex, France. Electronic address: j.cachot@epoc.u-bordeaux1.fr.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cachot
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005880:Gills; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D049878:Mytilus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014416:Tunisia; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002374:Catalase
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Biomarkers; Coastal lagoon; Mediterranean mussel; Persistent organic pollutants; Pollution monitoring