Page 11 - EER-2-2

Explora: Environment

and Resource

REVIEW ARTICLE
Bioaccumulation of trace elements in mussels

as sentinels of environmental pollution in the
Mediterranean Sea: A review

1,2
Daniele Fattorini *
1 Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DISVA), Polytechnic University of Marche
(UNIVPM), Ancona, Marche, Italy
2 National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, CoNISMa, Ancona, Marche, Italy

Abstract

Mussels, as filter feeders, efficiently accumulate various pollutants from the
surrounding water, making them valuable bioindicators of marine environmental
quality. This review focuses on their application in assessing trace element
contamination in the Mediterranean Sea. Trace elements such as arsenic, cadmium,
lead, mercury, and zinc are commonly identified in mussels due to their potential
toxicity and bioaccumulation. Seasonal variations in trace element concentrations
*Corresponding author: in mussel tissues are influenced by factors such as phytoplankton blooms,
Daniele Fattorini gametogenesis, temperature, and salinity. However, anthropogenic activities,
(d.fattorini@staff.univpm.it) including industrial discharges, mining, and urban runoff, can significantly elevate
Citation: Fattorini D. these levels. The Mediterranean Sea is particularly vulnerable to pollution due to
Bioaccumulation of trace elements its enclosed nature and high human population density. Natural and geological
in mussels as sentinels of
environmental pollution in the phenomena contribute to the increased bioavailability of certain elements, such
Mediterranean Sea: A review. as arsenic and mercury, in the Adriatic Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea. An in-depth
Explora Environ Resour. understanding of these phenomena is fundamental for interpreting data from
2025;2(2):8078.
doi: 10.36922/eer.8078 scientific studies and environmental monitoring. Regions with historical mining
activities, such as the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, show elevated levels of
Received: December 19, 2024 elements such as lead and zinc. Areas with significant industrial activities, such
Revised: March 6, 2025 as the Gulf of Taranto and the Gulf of Trieste (Italy), also exhibit elevated levels of
Accepted: March 11, 2025 trace elements in mussels. The Eastern Mediterranean, including the Aegean and
Marmara Seas, is characterized by widespread pollution from urban and industrial
Published online: April 2, 2025 sources, as well as maritime traffic. Mussels from these regions often exhibit high
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). levels of trace elements, particularly in areas near major cities and industrial
This is an Open-Access article centers. This review examines literature from the past 25 years concerning the use
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution of mussels as bioindicators in the study of natural and anthropogenic phenomena
License, permitting distribution, affecting the bioavailability of trace elements in the Mediterranean Sea, providing
and reproduction in any medium, an overview of case studies and environmental monitoring commonly carried out
provided the original work is
properly cited. in this area.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Bioaccumulation; Environmental monitoring; Mediterranean; Mussels;
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Pollution; Trace elements
affiliations.

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/eer.8078