In vitro effects of pesticides and metals on the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from different tissues of the blue mussel,Mytilus trossulus L.

The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive comparison of the effect on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from various tissues of Mytilus trossulus caused by in vitro exposure to several pesticides and metals, because results available in the literature are inconsistent, difficult to compare, and sometimes contradict each other. For this purpose, fraction S10 extracted from gills, digestive gland, mantle and muscles, and the whole soft tissue of the mussel was exposed to several pesticides (dichlorvos, chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, carbofuran and carbaryl) and metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb) at a wide range of concentrations. AChE was inhibited in 50% or more in all the tissues exposed to dichlorvos, Cu, Hg and the mixture of Cu+Cd, and in some tissues exposed to carbaryl and carbofuran. The IC₅₀ was calculated where possible. No inhibition was found in the case of chlorpyrifos, Cd, Pb, and Zn.