Biomarkers of metal toxicity and histology of Perna viridis from Ennore estuary, Chennai, south east coast of India.

Distribution of heavy metals and its associated histological perturbations were studied in the soft tissues of Perna viridis collected from Ennore estuary and compared with the less polluted Kovalam coast. The concentration of copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, manganese and iron were quantified in gills, digestive gland and adductor muscle. The results showed marked differences between the two sites as well as significant variations within the tissues. Among the heavy metals analyzed, lead and cadmium recorded very low in the soft tissues of mussel. Heavy metal levels in tissues of mussel collected from Ennore estuary were in the order of gills>digestive gland>adductor muscle, while it was digestive gland>gills>adductor muscle in the mussel sampled from Kovalam coast. The decreasing trend of metals in the tissues of mussels sampled from both Ennore estuary and Kovalam coast was in the order of Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. Overall, the highest metal concentrations were found in the mussel collected from Ennore estuary. The metal accumulation in the gills and digestive gland of Perna viridis was found to be quite high in comparison with the adductor muscle. These soft tissues were further investigated by light microscopy and the results were compared with the reference site (Kovalam coast). These results suggest that thickening of the digestive epithelium, hemocytic infiltration in the gills and myodegeneration in the muscle tissue are useful histological biomarkers for heavy metal induced stress, and demonstrate that precautions need to be taken in Ennore estuary in order to prevent heavy metal pollution that can occur in the future.