Biotransformation and antioxidant enzymes of Dreissena polymorpha for detection of site impact in watercourses of Berlin.

This study investigated whether biotransformation and antioxidant enzymes of an organism tolerant to pollution such as the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha can be employed to evaluate the extent of urban water pollution. Activity changes of soluble and membrane bound glutathione S-transferase (s- and mGST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) to environmental stress were explored in precultured mussels exposed for one day to one week at selected sites with reasonable anthropogenic impact. The enzymatic response of whole mussel tissue was compared to gill tissue.