Pentachlorophenol accumulation in the freshwater mussels Anodonta anatina and Pseudanodonta complanata, and some physiological consequences of laboratory maintenance

Freshwater mussels Anodanta anatina and Pseudanodonta complanata were exposed to (14C)-pentachlorophenol. The wet weight based bioconcentration factor (BCF = activity in animal per activity in water) at steady state varied from 80 to 120 for A. anatina and from 61 to 85 for P. complanata. The species did not differ significantly in their wet weight or lipid based BCFs but dry weight based values were significantly higher (40-50%) for A. anatina. The soft tissue dry weight and dry weight based condition index of A. anatina (Cl4 = soft tissue dry weight per shell length) differed significantly between natural mussel populations. In animals kept from 4 to 8 months in laboratory conditions, the soft tissue dry weight and glycogen content decreased more rapidly when mussels were maintained at 15 than at 5 degrees C. However, glycogen content in the digestive gland or adductor muscle did not differ in mussels maintained in the laboratory (5 degrees C) when compared to the natural population. The adductor muscle protein content differed between laboratory maintained animals and the natural population in Lake H?yti?nen but there was no difference in the soft tissue lipid content. Trace metal concentrations and calcium in the soft tissue were in general higher in laboratory maintained mussels. In addition, laboratory maintenance affected the reproductive cycle of A. anatina.     

Tissue distribution of inorganic mercury, methylmercury and cadmium in the Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) in relation to the contamination levels of the water column and sediment

The comparative experimental study of inorganic mercury (HgII), methylmercury (MeHg) and cadmium (Cd) bioaccumulation in the Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea was based on a 14 days' exposure to the water column or sediment compartments, as initial contamination sources. For each contaminant and exposure source, a five-point concentration range was set up in order to quantify the relationships between the contamination pressure and bioaccumulation capacity, at the whole soft body level and in five organs: gills, mantle, visceral mass, kidney and foot. Hg and Cd bioaccumulation at the whole organism level was proportional to the metal concentrations in the water column or sediment. For similar exposure conditions, the average ratios between the metal concentrations in the bivalves--[MeHg]/[HgII] and [MeHg]/[Cd]--were close to 10 and 5 for the sediment source and 8 and 15 for the water column source. Metal distribution in the five organs revealed strong specificities, according to the different contamination modalities studied: kidney and gills were clearly associated with Cd exposure, mantle and foot with MeHg exposure and the visceral mass with inorganic Hg exposure.     

菖蒲和芦苇对复合重金属胁迫的生理反应及其富集能力

研究了水生植物菖蒲和芦苇对复合重金属(V、Cr和Cd)的富集能力及对重金属的生理响应,以考察这两种植物对重金属污染水体的修复效果.结果表明,随着水体中重金属污染浓度的提高,两种植物的耐性系数均有所下降,但菖蒲的生长状况优于芦苇.在不同重金属污染浓度下,菖蒲和芦苇均表现出对Cd的富集能力最强,其次是Cr,而对V的富集能力相对较弱.在相同重金属浓度下,菖蒲对三种重金属的富集总量大于芦苇,在重金属质量浓度为15 mg·L^-1时,菖蒲对三种重金属的富集量分别是1065.02、1754.80和4372.40 mg·kg^-1,且菖蒲地下部分对V、Cr和Cd的富集系数分别是芦苇的2.1倍、1.5倍和1.8倍.综合考虑得出菖蒲比芦苇更适用于V、Cr和Cd复合重金属污染的修复.     

NMR determination of the global structure of the 113Cd derivative of desulforedoxin: investigation of the hydrogen bonding pattern at the metal center

Desulforedoxin (Dx) is a simple homodimeric protein isolated from Desulfovibrio gigas (Dg) containing a distorted rubredoxin-like center with one iron coordinated by four cysteinyl residues (7.9 kDa with 36 amino acids per monomer). In order to probe the geometry and the H-bonding at the active site of Dx, the protein was reconstituted with 113Cd and the solution structure determined using 2D NMR methods. The structure of this derivative was initially compared with the NMR solution structure of the Zn form (Goodfellow BJ et al., 1996, J Biol Inorg Chem 1:341-353). Backbone amide protons for G4, D5, G13, L11 NH, and the Q14 NH side-chain protons, H-bonded in the X-ray structure, were readily exchanged with solvent. Chemical shift differences observed for amide protons near the metal center confirm the H-bonding pattern seen in the X-ray model (Archer M et al., 1995, J Mol Biol 251:690-702) and also suggest that H-bond lengths may vary between the Fe, Zn, and 113Cd forms. The H-bonding pattern was further probed using a heteronuclear spin echo difference (HSED) experiment; the results confirm the presence of NH-S H-bonds inferred from D2O exchange data and observed in the NMR family of structures. The presence of "H-bond mediated" coupling in Dx indicates that the NH-S H-bonds at the metal center have significant covalent character. The HSED experiment also identified an intermonomer "through space" coupling for one of the L26 methyl groups, indicating its proximity to the 113Cd center in the opposing monomer. This is the first example of an intermonomer "through space" coupling. Initial structure calculations produced subsets of NMR families with the S of C28 pointing away from or toward the L26 methyl: only the subset with the C28 sulfur pointing toward the L26 methyl could result in a "through space" coupling. The HSED result was therefore included in the structure calculations. Comparison of the Fe, Zn, and 113Cd forms of Dx suggests that the geometry of the metal center and the global fold of the protein does not vary to any great extent, although the H-bond network varies slightly when Cd is introduced. The similarity between the H-bonding pattern seen at the metal center in Dx, Rd (including H-bonded and through space-mediated coupling), and many zinc-finger proteins suggests that these H-bonds are structurally vital for stabilization of the metal centers in these proteins.     

基于高炉渣的重金属废水净化材料的研制

在炉渣基固化/稳定化重金属土壤的基础上，以高炉渣为主要材料，通过掺入不同比例的激发剂和石灰石粉，研制了炉渣基重金属废水净化材料.试验原废水中Cd2+、Cr3+、Pb2+和Zn2+的浓度分别为10 mg/L、10 mg/L、20 mg/L和50 mg/L，以重金属去除率为评价指标.结果表明，在高炉渣、激发剂和石灰石粉的质量比为55:10:35，材料总添加量为6 g/L时，废水中Cd2+、Cr3+、Pb2+和Zn2+的去除率分别达到99.60 %、99.50 %、99.70 %和97.76 %，达到了国家排放标准.      

Commentary on application of refined morphologic evaluation of the testis to the practice of toxicologic pathology

60Co uptake from natural water, release and tissue distribution were investigated in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mikiss), which is representative of the third order consumers of the freshwater trophic chains. The experiments were carried out on two groups of fingerling trout placed in 0.45 microm filtered river water, maintained at 12 +/- 0.5 degrees C, contaminated with about 30 Bq ml-1 of 60Co and renewed three times a week. After a 8-week exposure phase, the fish of one group were dissected to determine the contamination of the tissues and organs and the distribution of the accumulated 60Co. The fish of the other group were placed in non-contaminated water, renewed daily, to monitor radionuclide release. After a 42-day depuration phase, the specimens were dissected to study the tissue distribution of the residual 60Co.60Co accumulation from water by trout can be described by a one-compartment exponential model. The concentration factor, calculated from the ratio of the radionuclide concentration in filtered water and in the fish, reached a maximum value of 4.6 (w.w.) after 30 days exposure. After the 42-day depuration phase, the fish retained about 29% of the accumulated radionuclide. A single-compartment exponential model was fitted to the 60Co elimination data, and the corresponding radionuclide half-life was 21 days. At the end of the exposure phase, tissue contamination study showed 60Co accumulation by the gills, viscera (air bladder, heart and spleen) and kidneys, to be the highest. At the end of the depuration phase, the kidney was the most contaminated organ, followed by the viscera, head, gills, and liver. In both cases, 60Co concentration was by far the lowest in the muscle, which accounted for about 45% of the total body weight and only 20% of the total radionuclide body load.     

Association between blood pressure and dietary factors in the dietary and nutritional survey of British adults

During the last few decades, the industrial production and use of Cd resulted in the release of significant quantities of Cd into the environment. Concern about health risks of human exposure to this toxic metal, which may be contained in soil and other environmental compartments, has increased significantly in recent years. Soil ingestion is a potentially important pathway of exposure to soil-absorbed environmental contaminants, especially for young children exhibiting hand-to-mouth behavior. Health risk assessments are usually based on unchanged bioavailability of soil-absorbed pollutants, e.g., heavy metals, neglecting interactions of metals with the soil matrix, which may lead to relatively lower bioavailability. This study was conducted to determine the bioavailability of Cd absorbed to soil in rats. Eight-week-old male Lewis rats were given either a soil polluted with CdCl2 (150 micrograms Cd/rat) dissolved in 5% gun acacia or an equal amount of Cd as CdCl2 dissolved in saline. Control rats were gavaged with isotonic saline. Cd concentrations in liver, kidney, brain, heart, and blood, as well as Cd content of urine and feces were analyzed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Tissue Cd concentrations in soil-treated animals were significantly lower than the tissue concentrations in the Cd-saline group; in the liver and kidneys of the Cd-saline and Cd-soil groups, 4 and 2.7% respectively, of the original doses were recovered. Relative bioavailability, calculated on the basis of blood Cd levels for the Cd-soil group as compared to the Cd-saline group, appeared to be 43%. No differences in the excretion pattern of Cd into feces were observed between the Cd-saline and Cd-soil groups. After 6 days, over 91% of the original dose was recovered in the feces of both Cd-treated groups. Cd excretion via urine was very low, but in the Cd-soil group a significant increase in urinary Cd was observed as compared to the control group. However, the amount of Cd excreted into urine of the Cd-soil group during the experimental period corresponded to only 0.01% of the original dose. In the Cd-saline group, no additional Cd was excreted into urine as compared to the control group. These results indicate that the soil matrix significantly reduced the absorption of Cd in the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, exposure assessment models, assuming an unaffected bioavailability of soil-absorbed Cd, overestimate the internal dose and thereby overestimate health risks associated with direct ingestion of soil particles.     

Risk Assessment of Metal Leaching into Groundwater from Phosphate and Thermal Treated Sediments

Beneficial reuse as an alternative to disposal is increasingly being considered in management of contaminated sediments dredged from harbors. The risk of metal leaching into groundwater in reuse of phosphate and thermal treated sediments was assessed with sequential extraction, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), and leaching as a function of pH and liquid to solid ratio (L/S). Sequential extraction revealed that phosphate addition at 5% by dry weight, followed by calcination at 700°C reduced metal association with exchangeable/carbonate and organic phases and increased that with sparingly soluble residuals. Over the pH range 4 to 9, metal leachability varied by two to four orders of magnitude while varying L/S over 5 to 100 showed little difference. The SPLP revealed that risk to groundwater criteria based on applying a dilution attenuation factor (DAF) of 13 (New Jersey) to groundwater quality levels were achieved. Risk criteria based on a DAF of 1 (Florida and Wisconsin) were exceeded for Pb, Cd, and Mn; thermodynamic analysis demonstrates that the criteria cannot be satisfied should dissolution control pore water concentrations.     

Lead and cadmium contents in cereals and pulses in north-eastern China

A mechanistic model is proposed for describing the accumulation of copper in Hyalella azteca. The metal is assumed to diffuse passively into and out of the animal. Once inside, it binds primarily to a ligand (X), the function of which is probably to supply copper to copper-requiring essential macromolecules. Once X is saturated, no further copper is accumulated. The rate of approach to the steady-state is much faster during uptake than during depuration because the number of binding sites (Xt) is limited. Diffusion across the animal's body surface does not seem to be rate-limiting. The binding strength of copper to X (KCu-X) is stronger than the binding of copper to fish gills, but this is not necessarily a valid comparison because KCu-X is the product of several constants, including the equilibrium for diffusion across the animal's surface and the strength of the internal binding site. Prolonged exposure to elevated copper in the water gradually reduces the concentration of Xt, primarily through growth dilution. Regulation of body copper appears to be through control of the concentration of Xt, rather than through control of copper influx or efflux rates, and chronic mortality is not affected by changes in Xt.     

Mussels and algae as bioindicators for long-term tendencies of element pollution in marine ecosystems

Results of more than ten years of experience in the determination of metals in mussels and algae collected in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea are presented. The various elements determined here are Hg, As, Se, Cd, Pb, Cu, Na, K, S, P, Zn, Mn, Fe, Sr, Ca, Ba, Mg, Tl, Ni, Co using techniques such as cold vapor AAS, INAA, hydride generation AAS, electrothermal AAS, ICP-AES, IDMS and stripping voltammetry. The results indicate the occurrence of three groups of elements with respect to long-term tendencies of their concentrations. In the first group, the concentrations in both mussels and algae varied in the same manner; in the second group no change was observed in either matrix while in the third group, the concentrations of elements changed in an opposite manner.     

The longitudinal distribution of cadmium, zinc, copper, iron, and metallothionein in the small-intestinal mucosa of rats after administration of cadmium chloride

Different routes of Cd intake may influence the intestinal distribution of Cd, metallothionein (MT), and trace metals differently. Therefore, we compared the effects of parenteral and enteral administration of Cd on the distribution of trace metals and MT along the small intestine. In a first experiment three groups of rats were employed: a control, one receiving CdCl2 within the drinking water, and another receiving sc injections of CdCl2. In a second experiment, rats were fed three different diets with either 0, 0.3, or 1 mmol CdCl2/kg for one and two weeks to study the time- and dose-dependent effects of orally administered Cd. Metal concentrations (Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe) were measured by atomic emission spectrometry and MT was determined by radioimmunoassay. Intestinal MT levels did not show proximodistal gradients in controls or after sc administration of Cd, but orally administered Cd increased mucosal MT levels longitudinally from the duodenum to the ileum. Cd levels paralleled those of MT. Compared with the metal concentrations in the controls, sc administration of Cd did not change intestinal Zn, Cu, and Fe levels. Oral administration of Cd, however, increased Cu and decreased Fe levels in the intestinal mucosa significantly. The second experiment revealed that only high dietary concentrations of Cd increase intestinal Cd and MT levels longitudinally toward the distal parts, whereas at lower dietary concentration the longitudinal distribution was reversed. This shows that different routes and doses of Cd intake lead to a different trace metal and MT distribution and emphasizes the role of dietary Cd in the local induction of small-intestinal MT.     

典型钒矿冶炼厂区域土壤重金属污染及陆生植物富集能力

植物修复是土壤重金属污染修复的重要手段。为了探明南水北调工程中线水源地土壤污染状况并对其进行修复,本研究以湖北省朝北河和典型钒矿冶炼厂为对象,按季节采集该区域土壤（样本量n = 14）和当地优势陆生植物（样本量n = 113）,使用微波消解?电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP?MS)测定V、Cr、As和Cd重金属含量,根据内梅罗指数法综合评价了土壤污染程度,评估了各种植物对四种重金属的富集能力。结果表明,朝北河采样点中排污口与河水交汇处土壤中重金属Cd含量较高;钒矿冶炼厂原矿堆放区V超标近83倍,Cr、As和Cd重金属超标两倍以上,土壤受到严重污染;其他采样点均受到不同程度的重金属污染。植物重金属富集能力和耐受性评价结果表明,鼠麴草、密叶飞蓬、一年蓬对四种重金属耐受性极强,小蓬草、白茅、少花龙葵、野菊、白车轴草、稗是V、Cr和Cd的超富集植物,蜈蚣草、构树对As的富集能力极强,野艾蒿对Cr和Cd的富集能力较强,丁香蓼和日本毛连菜分别对Cr和V具有较强的耐受性和富集特异性,委陵菜和垂序商陆对Cd具有较强的富集能力和特异性。五种优势植物盆栽实验表明,苎麻在复合金属污染条件下耐受性最强,委陵菜富集能力最强。      

江西东乡铜矿重金属污染监测预警

矿山资源的盲目开发导致矿区和周围环境重金属污染十分严重,污染防治,已刻不容缓．本研究结合国内外关于环境质量预警方面的理论知识,设计了矿山环境监测预警的基本方法,以矿山重金属含量为评价指标,并对重金属的变化趋势、速度等方面进行预测预警．并且通过江西东乡铜矿的实例应用,分析有代表性的采样点,结果表明该矿区污染源1、2及尾矿库重金属污染程度较严重,从重金属综合污染指数的预警类型角度分析,2003年至2008年东乡铜矿重金属污染级别均已超过警戒线,从重金属单因子污染指数的预警类型角度分析,重金属Cu、Pb、Cd的污染程度较为严重,其次为重金属Zn、Ni_     

Removal of Metal Ions from Storm-Water Runoff by Low-Cost Sorbents: Batch and Column Studies

The possibility of using the sorption technology to reduce the levels of metal ions present in urban storm-water runoff was investigated in this study. Seven sorbent materials including Amberlite XAD7, chitosan, crab shell, peat, Sargassum, sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse were initially examined for removal of 11 metal ions (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) from simulated storm-water runoff at different concentrations. Among these sorbents, crab shell performed well with removal efficiencies exceeding 93% for all heavy metal ions examined and thus selected for further studies. Based on scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, microprecipitation of metal carbonates followed by adsorption onto the surface of crab shell was identified as the major mechanism responsible for removal of heavy metal ions by crab shell. Crab shell exhibited rapid removal of meal ions with attainment of biosorption equilibrium within 20 min. A crab-shell-packed column was used to study the continuous metal retention process. The column performed very well in the removal of heavy metal ions and was able to operate up to 192 h at a flow rate of 10 mL/min before outlet concentrations of Mn and Co reached 0.3 times of their respective inlet concentrations. Other metal ions such as Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, and Cu were only in trace levels in the final effluent until 192 h. These findings would form the basis for the future development of crab-shell-based biofilters for removal of dissolved heavy metal ions from storm-water runoff.     

混凝土在重金属环境中的暴露研究

研究了混凝土暴露在重金属环境中的污染特征,采用Zn、Cu、Pb、Cr、Cd单一溶液及混合溶液浸泡C20混凝土试块,分析了重金属在混凝土剖面的分布规律。结果表明,重金属主要分布于混凝土表层1 cm内,1cm深度混凝土中重金属含量接近背景含量,建议在受重金属污染的混凝土构筑物拆除无害化处理处置中,可对其进行表层剥离。     

针铁矿对重金属离子的吸附作用

对针铁矿合成试验和针铁矿吸附重金属离子进行了研究。试验结果表明，针铁矿可用铁矿废渣获得，通过酸碱中和的方式所获得的针铁矿是微细针状，针铁矿对重金属离子具有强烈的吸附作用，对Cu^2 、Zn^2 和Cd^2 的吸附边界pH值分别为4.3,5.8和7.3，且吸附率最高可达95％以上；尤其对Pb^2 的吸附作用更加强烈，在pH值为3.5时吸附率就达到95％，并且随着pH值的升高吸附率仍在95％以上。研究表明，铁矿废渣可被利用制备针铁矿，针件矿用于含重金属离子污水的处理，具有较好效果。     

Mobilization of hepatic cadmium in pregnant rats

Mobilization of hepatic cadmium (Cd) in pregnant rats was investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were injected subcutaneously, daily with 1.0 mg Cd/kg body weight as CdCl2 for 8 days. A group of these rats was made pregnant. Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), Cd, and metallothionein (MT) concentrations in the liver, kidney, and plasma of the control and Cd-injected, pregnant and nonpregnant rats, were compared. The hepatic Cd concentration of the Cd-injected rats decreased by 40% during pregnancy and became significantly lower than that of the nonpregnant Cd-injected rats. On the other hand, there was a concomitant increase (60%) of Cd concentrations in the kidney of the Cd-injected pregnant rats. MT in the Cd-injected rats also showed a similar pattern of decrease in hepatic concentrations and increase in renal concentrations during pregnancy. Both Cd and MT contents in the placenta of the Cd-injected rats were higher than those of the control and there was a significant increase over the gestational period. Plasma Cd and MT concentrations of the Cd-injected pregnant rats were higher than those of Cd-injected nonpregnant rats. These results suggest that pregnancy can mobilize the hepatic Cd which can be transferred to the kidney and placenta through the blood plasma. Moreover, the blood urea nitrogen levels of the pregnant Cd-injected rats were increased on Gestation Day 21 and 7 days after delivery, indicating signs of Cd nephropathy. The hepatic Cd, Cu, Zn, and MT concentrations of the newborn rats, however, were unaltered by Cd injections. Therefore, it is possible that pregnancy may induce a high risk of Cd nephrotoxicity in women with chronic Cd exposure.     

Detection of genotoxic effects of heavy metal contaminated soils with plant bioassays

Aim of the present study was the development of a bioassay which enables the detection of genotoxic effects of heavy metal contaminated soils. In the first part of the present study, the data base on metal effects in plant bioassays was extended. Four metal salts, namely Cr(VI)O3, Cr(III)Cl3, Ni(II)Cl2 and Sb(III)Cl3 were tested comparatively in MN tests with pollen tetrad cells of Tradescantia clone #4430 and in meristematic root tip cells of Vicia faba. With Cr6+ and Ni2+, clear-cut dose-effects were observed in a range between 0.75 and 10.0 mM, whereas this was not the case with Cr3+ (range tested 1.25-10 mM) and Sb3+ (range 0.30-5.25 mM). In Vicia, negative results were obtained with the four metal salts under all conditions of test. To compare the mutagenic potencies of the metals, the increases of the regression curves (k-values) were calculated, they indicate the number of MN induced per mM in 100 tetrad cells. The corresponding values for Cr6+ and Ni2+ are 0.87 and 1.05, respectively. It appears that the Tradescantia system is in particular sensitive towards those metal species which cause DNA damage in animals and man such as Cr6+, Cd2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+, whereas no clear positive results were obtained with less harmful metal ions such as Cu2+, Cr3+ or Sb3+. In the second part of the study, the mutagenic effects of four metal contaminated soils and two types of standardized leachates (pH 4.0 and pH 7.0) of these soils were tested in Tradescantia and in Vicia. In addition, chemical analyses were carried out to determine the metal concentrations in the soils and in the extracts. Two of the samples contained highly elevated levels of a number of metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Sb, As), one soil came from the Central Austrian Alps and contained high As levels only. Direct exposure of the Tradescantia plants in the soils resulted in a drastic increase of the MN frequencies over the background. The lowest effect was seen with the Slovakian soil which contained in particular Sb and As (4.5-fold increase over the background), with the other soils, the induced frequencies were 11-15-fold over the control values. On the contrary, negative results were obtained upon exposure of Tradescantia cuttings in the leachates and upon implantation of germinated Vicia beans in the soils. The results of the present study indicate that Trad-MN assays with direct exposure of intact plants is an appropriate method which enables to detect genotoxic effects of metal contaminated soils in situ. This simple and fast biomonitoring assays might be a valuable supplement to analytical analyses of contaminated soils.     

Intracellular behaviour of samarium and europium in lactating mammary gland

The subcellular localization of samarium and europium, two rare-earths, increasingly used in both medical and industrial fields, has been studied in several organs such as liver and kidney but never in the mammary gland despite of its importance in the biology of lactation and nutrition domains. The intracellular behaviour of samarium and europium after their intra-peritoneal administration in the lactating mammary gland cells was investigated. The results showed the presence of very electron dense deposits in the glandular epithelial cell lysosomes. These particular lysosomes were never observed in the mammary cell lysosomes of control rats. These intralysosomal deposits were probably composed of insoluble samarium or europium phosphates by analogy with previous studies, the transmission electron microscopy, the ion mass microscopy and the electron probe microanalysis, and other techniques allowing the identification of the chemical structure of the intralysosomal deposits.     

Structure of peroxisomes and activity of the marker enzyme catalase in digestive epithelial cells in relation to PAH content of mussels from two Basque estuaries (Bay of Biscay): seasonal and site-specific variations

The aim of the present work was to study the seasonal as well as the site-specific variations in the structure of peroxisomes and in the activity of the peroxisomal marker enzyme catalase in digestive epithelial cells of mussels to validate the potential use of these parameters as early biomarkers of environmental organic pollution in estuarine ecosystems. For this purpose, mussels were sampled monthly for 14 months in two Basque estuaries (Bay of Biscay) with different degrees of pollution. Stereological procedures were applied to detect changes in peroxisome structure, and microspectrophotometry was used to quantify changes in catalase activity. The animals from the two studied sampling sites presented differences in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) burdens, mussels from Plentzia generally showing lower total PAH contents than mussels from Galea. The peroxisome structure of the animals from the two estuaries suffered seasonal variations that were of different kind and intensity in both sites. In this way, a strong peroxisome proliferatory response was found in mussels sampled in Plentzia during the summer months, while mussels from Galea presented few variations along the year. Catalase activity behaved similarly in the animals sampled in the two estuaries, with higher values in spring. It appeared that mussels exposed chronically to PAHs and other pollutants, such as those from Galea, lost their ability to respond to this exposure in terms of peroxisome proliferation. In contrast, mussels collected in Plentzia effectively responded to an increased bioavailability of organic pollutants during the summer by increasing peroxisome volume and surface and numerical densities in digestive epithelial cells. However, these increases were transient because elevated PAH body burdens detected in mussels sampled in Plentzia in autumn were not accompanied by a peroxisome proliferatory response. Further studies are needed before changes in peroxisomal structure and in the activity of catalase could be used as early biomarkers to assess environmental quality in pollution monitoring programs like the Mussel Watch.