Environmental Genotoxicity Studies in Mussels and Fish from the Göteborg Area of the North Sea

The frequency of micronuclei (MN) was analysed in gill cells of 97 specimens of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), in peripheral blood of 61 specimens of flounder (Platychthys flesus) and 40 specimens of wrasse (Symphodus melops), which were collected from seven study locations in the Göteborg area of the North Sea. The reference level of micronuclei was 0.04 MN/1,000 erythrocytes in flounder from the uncontaminated Nordre Alvsborg location and 0.05 MN/1,000 erythrocytes from the site at Fjallbacka. In mussels from the Stenungsund location, the reference level of micronuclei was 0.71 MN/1,000 cells. Ten times higher frequencies of micronuclei (0.45 MN/1,000 erythrocytes) were found in flounder collected from the contaminated zone at Jordhammarvik and eight times higher micronuclei levels (0.33 MN/1,000 erythrocytes) were recorded in fish from Nya Alvsborg, the inner part of the Göteborg harbour. In mussels, the highest response (a 2.8-fold increase compared to the reference level of MN) was established in specimens inhabiting the Ringhals zone.