THE USE OF TRANSPLANTED CULTURED MUSSELS (MYTILUS-EDULIS) TO MONITOR POLLUTANTS ALONG THE NINETY-MILE-BEACH, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA .1. EXTRACTABLE ORGANOHALOGENS (EOX)

Commercially cultured mussels (Mytilus edulis) were transplanted from Port Philip Bay to multiple sites along the Ninety Mile Beach, Victori a, on six occasions to assess water column concentrations of extractab le organohalogens (EOX). Mussels were deployed both before and after t he commencement of the discharge of a secondary-treated mix of industr ial, domestic and pulp and paper mill effluent in the vicinity of two of the deployment sites. Transplanted mussels maintained both body con dition and flesh lipid concentrations during the periods of deployment . Mussel tissue EOX concentrations varied between deployment sites and over deployment times. Inter-site differences in EOX tissue concentra tions were not consistent over time. Mussel tissue EOX concentrations were not correlated with physical characteristics of the shellfish. Ba ck-ground tissue EOX concentrations ranged from 16 to 69 mu g C1 g(-1) dry tissue wt. Mussels deployed in the vicinity of the effluent disch arge plume contained marginally-elevated tissue concentrations of EOX. However, these concentrations were not significantly higher than conc entrations present in tissue from mussels deployed at control sites.