The Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis: Nutritional Quality and Bioindicator of Availability of Radionuclides in the Marine Environment (Algerian Basin)

A study was undertaken to determine the level of biochemical contents and the activity concentrations of the radionuclides in Algerian mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The determination of biochemical contents (lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins) allowed us to evaluate the benefits of mussel consumption. The mussels used at the same time as bioindicator of naturally occurring radionuclides (²¹⁰Pb, ²¹⁴Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ²¹⁴Bi), telluric (⁴⁰K), and artificial radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs) from seawater. The biochemical contents were measured by (UV–Visible) Colorimetric assays, and the activity concentrations of radionuclides were measured by gamma spectrometry. The mussels were taken from three study areas on the Algerian coast: Kristel (Oran), Sercouf (Alger), and Collo (Skikda); and transplanted from each study areas into the tampon site (common site of Sercouf). The choice of sexual dormancy period and tampon site was a means of minimizing the effect of biological and environmental conditions on the bioaccumulation of radionuclides by mussels. The results show that the carbohydrates were the most abundant biochemical components (40–60%) compared to proteins (20–40%), and lipids (15–20%) of the total composition of the mussels. Not all treated mussels were contaminated with ¹³⁷Cs, the high activity of ⁴⁰K was the result of its high availability in the marine environment and its bioaccumulation in the mussel flesh. However, low ²²⁶Ra activity was measured compared to ⁴⁰K, while ^210Pb activity was measured between ⁴⁰K and ²²⁶Ra. The Kristel site was the most impacted area.