IMPACT OF PESTICIDES ON PROTEIN TISSUES OF GREEN- LIPPED MUSSEL (PERNA VIRIDIS)

The agrochemicals use in agriculture to enhance the crop production has increased in past decades. Pesticide pollution is a threat to marine organisms especially sedentary organisms for example bivalves. The green mussel is an intertidal organism occurring along the coasts of Pakistan. They inhabit estuarine environments, and are susceptible to coastal pollution. The present study was undertaken to understand the biochemical alterations induced by organophosphate pesticides (chlorpyrifos, malathion) and herbicide (buctril) on Perna viridis tissues after acute treatment of 48 and 96 hours. Inhibitory effect on total protein content in mantle, gill and adductor muscle of Perna viridis were observed after exposure to organophosphate pesticides (chlorpyrifos, malathion) and herbicide (buctril). Total Protein contents were reduced in Perna viridis in all tissues with increase in exposure period. Most significant inhibitory effect on total protein contents (p < 0.05) was observed in organophosphate pesticide (malathion) treated bivalves followed in the descending order by chlorpyrifos and buctril treated bivalves. Decrease in protein % activity among the tissues of bivalve after exposure to the organophosphate pesticides was in the order of gills, adductor and mantle tissues. Maximum protein % activity was observed at 0.5 ppm buctril exposed mantle tissues (99.79 % after 48 hour) and minimum protein % activity was observed at 3.5 ppm malathion exposed gill tissues (19.47 % after 96 hour).