Cytotoxicity assessment of antibiofouling compounds and by-products in marine bivalve cell cultures

Short-term primary cell cultures were derived from adult marine bivalve tis sues: the heart of oyster Crassostrea gigas and the gill of clam Ruditapes decussatus. These cultures were used as experimental in vitro models to ass ess the acute cytotoxicity of an organic molluscicide, Mexel-432(R), used i n antibiofouling treatments in industrial cooling water systems. A micropla te cell viability assay, based on the enzymatic reduction of tetrazolium dy e (MTT) in living bivalve cells, was adapted to test the cytotoxicity of th is compound: in both in vitro models, toxicity thresholds of Mexel-432 were compared to those determined in vivo with classic acute toxicity tests. Th e clam gill cell model was also used to assess the cytotoxicity of by-produ cts of chlorination, a major strategy of biofouling control in the marine e nvironment. The applications and limits of these new in vitro models for mo nitoring aquatic pollutants were discussed, in reference with the standardi zed Microtox(R) test. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.