Carotenoid content and tolerance of green mussel <i>Perna viridis</i> (Linnaeus) to acute mercury and zinc toxicity

Abstract

Mussels with high carotenoid concentration tolerated acute Hg and Zn toxicity and the increase in carotenoid concentration was correlated significantly (<i>P &lt; 0.001</i>) with heavy metal concentration. Exposure to 0.8 ppm of Hg and 6 ppm of Zn resulted in 5 to 6 fold increase in the carotenoid concentration of <i>P. viridis</i>. Drastic depression in oxygen consumption occurred in <i>P. viridis</i> exposed to Hg, coinciding with increase in carotenoid concentration with increase in time of exposure.