Assessment of the effects of discontinuous sources of contamination through biomarker analyses on caged mussels

Freshwater Mussel Soft Tissue Incorporates Strontium Isotopic Signatures of Oil and Gas Produced Water

“…Freshwater mussels are the most endangered faunal group in North America with an estimated 55% species extinction from 1900 to 2100. , As filter feeders, bioaccumulation of metals and other contaminants in bivalve soft tissue and shells often reflects the local water quality. − As such, mussels have been utilized as bioindicators of environmental pollution, including impacts from O&G development. − Native freshwater mussel species such as Elliptio complanata and Elliptio dilatata maintain a large geographic range in eastern North America that generally encompasses the entire Appalachian Basin and multiple shale gas formations (Figure S1). A previous field-based study reported increased freshwater mussel mortality and decreased population diversity and abundance likely due to high salinity downstream of a Pennsylvania O&G wastewater treatment facility discharging Marcellus Shale-treated produced water .…”

Forensic tracers of exposure to produced water in freshwater mussels: a preliminary assessment of Ba, Sr, and cyclic hydrocarbons

“…Importantly, the potential of sentinel species to accumulate produced water contaminants in soft tissue, which could then be used as forensic tools, has not been assessed. Sampling freshwater mussels, which are sessile, benthic filter-feeders, may be useful to assess water quality and bioaccumulation of environmental pollutants [38][39][40][41] . Environmental contamination is proposed as a factor in the recent decline of many freshwater species [42][43][44] and the concentrations of trace metals (i.e., Cu, Fe, Mn) in mussel tissue are generally correlated to the concentrations in the water that they inhabit [45][46][47] .…”

“…Alternatively, metals could accumulate as secondary precipitated minerals, such as barite in the carbonate shell 51 . Recent research has focused on freshwater mussel species as biomonitors, including monitors of energy extraction activities 34,38,39 and long term studies have also been conducted such as a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitoring mussel bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) 41 . The large geographic range of some mussel species makes these organisms candidates for studying the impacts to surface water from energy extraction activities.…”