Coastal areas are important interface environments between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and are also areas of high economic activity related, among others, to trade, fishing and tourism. The port areas of La Rochelle (France) are part of these areas with strong anthropic activities and are therefore subject to potential contamination, particularly with trace metals. Among the various sources of discharges, galvanic (or sacrificial) cathodic protection can be questioned. Indeed, few studies have been carried out on the potential impact of the degradation of sacrificial anodes in ports on the health of bivalves. A study was therefore carried out on the black scallop Mimachlamys varia in the commercial port and the marina of La Rochelle using the caging method. Several biomarkers of the health status of individuals were observed in the laboratory (SOD, GST, MDA, AChE, and LAC). Among the different results obtained over two exposure periods, it appears that the potential effects of sacrificial anodes, whether new or present on site for several years, are masked by meteorological conditions, as well as by harbor activities.
Keywords: Biomarkers; Cathodic protection; Environmental quality; Port area; Trace metals.
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