A comparative study on the effects of barite, ilmenite and bentonite on four suspension feeding bivalves

► Effects of drilling mud on bivalve filtration rates and survival was investigated. ► Impact of drilling mud components barite, ilmenite and bentonite were tested. ► Drilling mud stimulated filtration activity in all bivalves investigated. ► Exposure to standard barite and ilmenite resulted in lethal effects. ► In-vivo observations of the gills showed physical damage by barite and ilmenite.