Cyanobacteria are a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health because of their ability to produce cyanotoxins, such as microcystins (MCs). MCs are regularly monitored in fresh waters, but rarely in estuarine and marine waters despite the possibility of their downstream export. Over a period of two years, we monthly analysed intracellular (in phytoplankton) and extracellular (dissolved in water) MCs at five stations along a river continuum from a freshwater reservoir with ongoing cyanobacterial blooms to the coast of Brittany, France. MCs were quantified using two integrative samplers placed at each site: solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) samplers for collecting extracellular MCs and caged mussels (Anodonta anatina and Mytilus edulis) filter-feeding on MC-producing cyanobacteria.The MC transfer was demonstrated each year during five months at estuarine sites and sporadically at the marine outlet. SPATT samplers integrated extracellular MCs, notably at low environmental concentrations (0.2 µg/L) and with the same variant profile as in water. The mussel A. anatina highlighted the presence of MCs including at intracellular concentrations below 1 µg/L. M. edulis more efficiently revealed the MC transfer at estuarine sites than punctual water samplings. Bivalves showed the same MC variant profile as phytoplankton samples, but with differential accumulation capacities between the variants and the two species.Using SPATT or bivalves can give a more accurate assessment of the contamination level of a freshwater-marine continuum, in which the MC transfer can be episodic. MC content in M. edulis represents a potent threat to human health if considering updated French guideline values, and particularly the total (free and protein-bound) MC content, highlighting the necessity to include cyanotoxins in the monitoring of seafood originating from estuarine areas.

Cyanobacterial proliferations display rapid spatiotemporal variations that can interfere in the assessment of water contamination levels by microcystins (MC), and make necessary the use of integrative tools. This study evaluates the pertinence of bivalves Anodonta anatina and Dreissena polymorpha as bioindicators of the presence of MC-producing cyanobacteria in water. Ingested MC accumulates into two fractions in bivalve tissues—the cellular free and the protein-bound fractions—both forming the total MC fraction. Mussels were exposed to the cyanobacteria Planktothrix agardhii at densities producing an equivalent of 1, 10 and 100 µg/L of intracellular MC, with the evaluation of: (i) cyanobacterial cells and MC daily intake by mussels, (ii) free and total MC kinetics in whole individuals (using all the tissues) or only in the digestive gland, during and after the exposure, (iii) bioaccumulation factors. For each species, the kinetics of the two accumulation fractions were compared to evaluate which one best reflect levels and dynamics of MC-producing cyanobacteria in water. Results showed that the dynamic of free MC in bivalve tissues better highlight the dynamic of intracellular MC in water. Using whole D. polymorpha may be appropriate to reveal and discriminate the water contamination levels above densities of cyanobacteria producing 1 µg MC/L. Digestive glands of A. anatina appeared more sensitive to reveal low environmental concentration, but without direct correlation with levels of water contamination. Further experimentations in situ are necessary to confirm those results in order to propose the use of freshwater bivalves for a biomonitoring of MC-producing cyanobacteria in fresh waters.

The environmental neurotoxin β-N-Methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) has been pointed out to be involved in human neurodegenerative diseases. This molecule is known to be bioaccumulated by bivalves. However, little data about its toxic effects on freshwater mussels is available, particularly on the hemolymphatic compartment and its hemocyte cells involved in various physiological processes such as immune defenses, digestion and excretion, tissue repair, and shell production. Here we exposed Dreissena polymorpha to dissolved BMAA, at the environmental concentration of 7.5 µg of /mussel/3 days, during 21 days followed by 14 days of depuration in clear water, with the objective of assessing the BMAA presence in the hemolymphatic compartment, as well as the impact of the hemocyte cells in terms of potential cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and genotoxiciy. Data showed that hemocytes were in contact with BMAA. The presence of BMAA in hemolymph did not induce significant effect on hemocytes phagocytosis activity. However, significant DNA damage on hemocytes occurred during the first week (days 3 and 8) of BMAA exposure, followed by an increase of hemocyte mortality after 2 weeks of exposure. Those effects might be an indirect consequence of the BMAA-induced oxidative stress in cells. However, DNA strand breaks and mortality did not persist during the entire exposure, despite the BMAA persistence in the hemolymph, suggesting potential induction of some DNA-repair mechanisms.

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