Imposex in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, as evidence of organotin contamination in the marine environment of Korea

Imposer was measured in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, from the coast of the Korean peninsula. Frequency of imposer was 0% at two reference sites, b ut at 47 out of 61 sites, frequency of imposer was recorded as 100%. The de gree of imposer was relatively high at the sites near a harbor and a shipya rd. Tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) concentrations in T. clavigera ranged from 5 to 508 ng/g and from 3 to 2460 ng/g, respectively. A signifi cant positive relationship was found between degree of imposer and organoti n concentration, whereas a significant negative relationship was obtained b etween female-to-male sex ratio and the degree of imposer. During a field t ransplantation of T. clavigera from a pristine area to a port, TBT and TPT were accumulated in T. clavigera, and imposer was induced. T. clavigera sho ws considerable potential as a bioindicator species of the adverse effects of TBT and TPT contamination. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.