Impact of the Sea Empress oil spill on lysosomal stability in mussel bloodcells

Coastal zones are among the most productive and vulnerable areas on the pla net. An example of impact on these fragile environments was shown in the ca se of the "Sea Empress" oil tanker, which ran aground in the Bristol Channe l in 1996, spilling 72,000 tonnes of "Forties" crude oil. The objective was to investigate the sub-lethal cellular pathology and tissue hydrocarbon co ntamination in marine mussel populations, 4 months after the initial spill, using the neutral red retention (NRR) assay for lysosomal stability in blo od cells. NRR was reduced in mussels, and indicative of cell injury, from t he two sites closest to the spill in comparison with more distant and refer ence sites. Lysosomal stability was inversely correlated with polycyclic ar omatic hydrocarbon concentrations in mussel tissues. Reduced lysosomal stab ility has previously been shown to contribute to impaired immunocompetence and to autophagic loss of body tissues. The use of this type of technique i s discussed in the context of cost-effective, ecotoxicological tools for In tegrated Coastal Zone Management. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Lt d.