Assessment of environmental pollution at Balearic Islands applying oxidative stress biomarkers in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

The antioxidant enzyme response of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis to different degree of pollution was investigated. Antioxidant enzyme activities – catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) – and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were measured in gills and digestive glands of mussels. Mussels from the same origin were transplanted along the Balearic coastal waters in eight stations characterized by a different degree of contamination and human impacts. Antioxidant enzyme activities showed an adaptive response to increase the activities in the more polluted areas. CAT, GR and SOD in gills and CAT and GR in digestive gland presented significant differences between polluted and non-polluted stations. No significant differences were observed in MDA concentration indicating that the antioxidant response is capable to avoid the lipid peroxidation. The use of biomarkers such as CAT and GR in gills and digestive glands of the mussel M. galloprovincialis is a good tool to categorize differences between polluted and non-polluted areas.