Environmental genotoxicity in Klaipeda port area

Genotoxic effects were evaluated in the somatic and gonadal cells of five b ivalve and gastropod mollusc species inhabiting various sites of Klaipeda p ort area, differing by ecotoxic impacts. Aneuploidy, polyploidy of cells, m eiotic injures, centromere dissociation and fragmented polyploid nuclei wer e assessed as cytogenetic disturbances. The highest level of environmental genotoxicity was observed in the cells of Lymnaea ovata snails inhabiting M alku Bay in 1995 and 1996. Dredging and removal of contamined sediments fro m Malku Bay resulted in marked decrease of cytogenetic damage in molluscs, which were studied in 1997 and 1998. In 1997 the aneugenic effects were mor e frequent in the tissues of Bithynia tentaculata from Smelte River than th ose collected from Malku Bay and Klaipeda passage. The level of cytogenetic damage in molluscs from Vilhelmo Channel was increasing from 1995 to 1998.