Tolerance of the Asiatic clam Corbicula spp. to lethal level of toxic stressors-a review

Studies assessing the tolerance of the Asiatic clam, Corbicula spp., to a variety of chemical, environmental, and physical stressors are summarised and reviewed. A majority of the studies were conducted (1) in the laboratory, (2) with juvenile and adult stages and (3) with only one stressor per treatment. Trends in the data demonstrate that (1) equivalent median lethal concentrations were generated in studies using both static and flow-through techniques; (2) substantial increases in the levels of mortality among treated clams were obtained by extending exposure durations; (3) incorporation of recovery periods into experimental designs permitted the development of latent mortalities among treated clams; (4) tolerance among larvae was stage dependent while tolerance among adults was not; (5) higher levels of mortality were obtained when tests were conducted at higher temperatures; and (6) testing in the presence of substrate resulted in a decrease in the levels of mortality among treated clams. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to efforts to mitigate the fouling effects of Asiatic clams in industrial cooling water systems by exposure to toxic chemicals.