Analysis of microbiological contaminants in mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758), before and after depuration, from mariculture of the lowland coast, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Mussels can be used in the assessment of contamination of marine environments because of their filtering particles. Since they are used as a food source, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the (experimental) depuration process for the microbiological quality of mussels obtained from two regions of the Baixadas Litoraneas in Rio de Janeiro. Samples of cultivation water and mussels were collected seasonally from March 2019 to February 2020, in a total of 240 animals from both regions to perform the Most Probable Number of coliforms at 35 degrees C, at 45 degrees C (E. coli), Enterococcus spp., research Salmonella spp., count of heterotrophic aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria in control samples and debugged. A low count of E. coli was observed for the cultivation water, but in mussels the counts were high in the winter period in Armacao de Buzios, exceeding the limits established in accordance with the current legislation. However, the depuration technique adopted after collection provided a reduction in bacteriological counts, proving to be an effective process. Therefore, if there is a bacterial reduction with the adoption of the depuration process, there is a need for mitigation measures adopted by mariculturers and city halls regarding the safety of marine waters and molluscs.