Dose‐Response of Mussels to Chlorine

Abstract

Chlorine, like any other biocide, produces a dose‐dependent response in organisms. However, the response is dependent on a number of parameters. Chlorination of cooling water leaves residuals and by‐products that are potential pollutants in the receiving water body and can impact nontarget organisms. Therefore, it is imperative to generate data on the chlorine dose–response relationships of important fouling organisms, such as various mussel species, for efficient but environmentally acceptable biofouling control. Data are presented to show the effects of mussel size (shell length), season of sample collection (spawning vs. nonspawning season), nutritional status (fed vs. nonfed), and acclimation temperature (5–30°C) on the mortality pattern of different mussel species under continuous chlorination (0.5–5 mg L −1 ). From the data, it can be concluded that although various factors can influence the dose–response relationships of mussels, generalization is not possible because of species specificity. Among the various parameters, mussel species, mussel size, status of byssal attachment, spawning season, and acclimation temperature have significant effect on chlorine tolerance of mussels, whereas nutritional status shows very little effect.