Mussels

Sea mussels can refer to either all members of the Mytilidae family, or one genera such as Mytilus.

In any event, they are characterized as the edible, pear shaped mollusks that form large colonies along rocky shorelines around the world.

Their edibility makes them a popular research subject, especially because of the fact that they also collect near shore pollutants which can endanger the health of people who consume them.

Mussel Watch, a long term coastal monitoring program, in order to analyze "sediment and bivalve tissue chemistry for a suite of organic contaminants and trace metals".

A recent twenty year program review shows, scientists have discovered a trend of increased levels of arsenic in Eastern Gulf Coast Oysters, although sample measures fall well short of FDA prescribed danger levels.

Of all the regions measured for mercury levels, the Middle Atlantic region shows the only increasing trend, due largely to contamination from Midwest coal generated power plants.

More often than not, mussel harvesting areas get closed down because of outbreaks of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce toxic substances ingested by the mussels.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels