Against this historical backdrop, the Mediterranean Sea faces an increasing threat from emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, heavy metals, pesticides and microplastics, which pose grave threats to the environment and human health. In this regard, aquatic invertebrates and fish are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of these contaminants, and several species have been identified as biomarkers for their detection. Of these, mussels and Erasmo twigs are now widely used as biomarkers to accurately assess the effects of pollutants. This study focuses on the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicular and the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The first value is a useful indicator of local pollution levels due to exposure to contaminants that accumulate on the seafloor. In addition, it has a high nutritional status and plays an important role in the Mediterranean ecosystem. On the other hand, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, as a filter organism, can absorb and bioaccumulate foreign substances present in the environment. It also has a direct impact on human health as it is a kind of commercial purpose. In summary, the increasing presence of new pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea is a serious problem that requires immediate attention. Mussels and elasmobranchs are two of her examples of bioindicators that should be used to accurately determine the impact of these contaminants on marine ecosystems and human health.
KeywordsBioindicators; Emerging contaminants; Environmental toxicity; Mediterranean Sea
Published Date: 2023-07-31; Received Date: 2023-07-01
