The rate of concentration of faecal coliforms in shellfish under different environmental conditions

As filter-feeding organisms, bivalves present a potential health hazard to consumers due to pathogens which may be present in the marine environment. The effects of temperature and concentration of faecal coliforms (FC) in seawater on the rate of concentration in mussels and oysters were studied in both field and experimental conditions. The rates of FC concentration in bivalves were high at the beginning of the experiments, when the initial concentrations of FC in bivalves were low, and decreased as the concentration in bivalves increased. At low initial concentrations of FC in bivalves, the rate of FC concentration increased with the concentration of FC in seawater and with changes of temperature toward optimum. As the concentration of FC in bivalves increased, the rate of FC concentration decreased more rapidly as the concentration of FC in seawater increased and as the temperature was closer to optimum. Maximum concentrations of FC observed in bivalves (level-off concentrations) were the highest at minimum temperature (at which rates of FC concentration were the lowest), whereas the concentration of FC in seawater had no effect on the level-off concentrations of FC in bivalves. (C)1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.