Sublethal effects of experimental exposure to mercury in European flat oyster Ostrea edulis: cell alterations and quantitative analysis of metal

Oysters display a diversity of uptake mechanisms for metallic elements and distribution in the target organs, namely gills and the digestive gland. Various tissues of the flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, were studied following experimental exposure to 0.025 microM (5 micrograms l-1) of mercury, for up to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biometals 1997-10, Vol.10 (4), p.277-284
Main Authors: Bigas, M, Amiard-Triquet, C, Durfort, M, Poquet, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquaculture
Bioaccumulation
Bivalvia
Digestive glands
Digestive System - drug effects
Digestive System - ultrastructure
Epithelial Cells - drug effects
Epithelial Cells - ultrastructure
Gills - drug effects
Gills - ultrastructure
Mercury
Mercury - analysis
Mercury - metabolism
Mercury - toxicity
Microscopy, Electron
Mollusks
Ostrea edulis
Ostreidae - drug effects
Ostreidae - metabolism
Oysters
Reproducibility of Results
Spectrophotometry, Atomic
Sublethal effects
Tissues
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Summary:Oysters display a diversity of uptake mechanisms for metallic elements and distribution in the target organs, namely gills and the digestive gland. Various tissues of the flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, were studied following experimental exposure to 0.025 microM (5 micrograms l-1) of mercury, for up to 34 days. All animals survived the treatment. Data indicate Hg accumulation in gill tissue with a maximum concentration of 38.76 micrograms g-1 dry weight after 25 days of exposure. Hg levels were lower in remaining tissues, in which the maximum concentration (18.47 micrograms g-1 dry weight) was reached after 18 days of exposure. After these times, concentration in both tissues decreased. Results show that oysters can accumulate Hg from the environment, without their survival being affected during the experimental period. Structural alteration of epithelial tissues of gill and digestive gland of flat oyster was comparable with effects described for other metallic elements in bivalve molluscs. Interstitial tissue was disorganized in the digestive gland, and ultrastructural changes in intracellular endomembranes were detected in epithelial cells of the digestive gland after 18 days of treatment. After 25 days, absorptive epithelial cells of gills showed highly dilated, swollen microvilli. These intracellular alterations are parameters of the incipient response to the accumulation of mercury.
ISSN:0966-0844
1572-8773
DOI:10.1023/A:1018320315786