title: Integrated biomarker assessment of the effects of tailing discharges from an iron ore mine using blue mussels (Mytilus spp.).
abstract: The blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) has been used to assess the potential biological effects of the discharge effluent from the Sydvaranger mine, which releases its tailings into Bøk fjord at Kirkenes in the north of Norway. Metal bioaccumulation and a suite of biomarkers were measured in mussels positioned for 6 weeks at varying distances from the discharge outlet. The biomarkers used included: stress on stress (SS); condition index (CI); cellular energy allocation (CEA); micronuclei formation (MN); lysosomal membrane stability (LMS), basophilic cell volume (VvBAS); and neutral lipid (NL) accumulation. The individual biomarkers were integrated using the integrated biological response (IBR/n) index. The accumulation of Fe was significantly higher in mussels located closer to the discharge outlet, indicating that these mussels had been exposed to the suspended mine effluent. The IBR/n results were in good agreement with the location of the mussels in relation to the distance from the discharge outlet and expected exposure to the mine effluent. Several biomarkers showed responses resulting in higher IBR/n values of analysed mussels within a 3 km distance from the tailing discharge.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: sbr@niva.no.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harman
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Environmental Science & Technology, Dept. for Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Post box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hultman
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: John Arthur
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Berge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007501:Iron; D008906:Mining; D049880:Mytilus edulis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009664:Norway; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007501:Iron
keywords: Arctic fjord; Biomarkers; Biomonitoring; Integrative biomarker response; Marine mussels; Mine tailings