Presence of faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) in shellfish waters and mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lam.) from the Romanian Black Sea coast

Abstract

The mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lam.) is one of the most popular species with high commercial value and important issue of marine aquaculture in the Black Sea. In Romania, marine waters and shellfish are routinely analyzed for faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) of possible contamination within the national monitoring programme regime required under the EC Shellfish Water Directive (2006/113/EC). The present study focused on evaluating of the present microbiological quality of the Romanian marine mussels and shellfish waters. The microbiological quality (faecal coliforms) was examined in mussel’s tissue and seawater by using the current European standard procedures for examination of shellfish and seawaters. The relationship between levels of faecal coliforms (FC) in mussel versus seawater was analysed using a data set of FC results quantified in 110 samples of wild mussel (M. galloprovincialis) and water collected from 4 sampling sites within the Romanian Black Sea coastal areas approved for harvesting of shellfish, during the period 2009 - 2013. The levels of faecal indicator organisms were generally higher in mussels than those for Black Sea waters, with FC values ranging from less than 20 MPN/ 100g to 490 MPN/100g mussel tissues. The concentration of FC in mussel’s tissue was reduced at low salinity (10 psu and temperatures rising up to 27C, indicating that salinity and temperature variation in the Black Sea environment can affect the accumulation and survival of enteric bacteria in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Keywords

• faecal coliforms
• environmental factors
• Mytilus galloprovincialis
• coastal water