Organic pollutant burden of the giant mussels Choromytilus chorus from the south-central Chilean coast

A comparative quantitative analysis was made on the contents of organochlorines (OCh) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in tissues of the giant mussel Choromytilus chorus from three bays in south-central Chile exposed to various degrees of pollutant input. Mussels from the three bays contained levels of OCh near the detection limits of method, with a tendency to be slightly higher in the polluted bay (San Vicente) than in the other bays (Corral and Yaldad). PAH levels and types in Corral and Yaldad were well below of carcinogenicity permitted in mussels for human consumption.