Abstract
Sublethal effects of Iranian crude oil were studied using molluscs from the brackish Baltic Sea (salinity: 6 to 7%o S). In blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) low concentrations caused a reduction in byssal attachment. The sensitivity of the mussels appeared to increase with increasing size. The burrowing behavior of the bivalve Macoma baltica was found to be affected at oil concentrations of 70 μg 1−1 as measured by a spectrophotometer. Also small individuals appeared less sensitive to the oil than large ones. The effect of oil on the crawling rate of the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis was studied. Low concentrations apparently increased the rate of crawling initially (0 to 45 min) while at the end of exposure time (45 to 120 min) the activity decreased. At higher concentrations the crawling rate was very low throughout the experimental period and stress symptoms like complete immobilization occurred.
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Lindén, O. Sublethal effects of oil on mollusc species from the Baltic Sea. Water Air Soil Pollut 8, 305–313 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541917
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00541917