"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
24 Aug 2019
Mussels are a favourite on the menu of seafood lovers, but what many do not know is that these marine creatures help to clean up the seas. They act as a vacuum taking in pollutants and filtering out clean water.
Scientists have begun to realize the growth potential of mussels in the fight against water pollution. Mussels take in phytoplankton for nourishment along with microplastics, pesticides and other pollutants. Marine biologist Leila Meistertzheim informs that mussels are a super -filter in the marine world and are capable of filtering up to 25 liters of water a day. In order to feed and breathe, mussels pump and filter the water through their gills and in the process they store almost everything else that passes through.
Apart from appeasing the taste buds of humans, mussels are used to gauge the pollution levels in water bodies. They have long been used as "bio-indicators" of the health of the seas, lakes and rivers they inhabit. An important concern is microplastics which is finding its way into the system of humans through seafood. To know more about pollution in water, researchers place mussels in fish traps and let it remain submerged in water for a month after which they dissect it to determine the pollutants and chemicals in its tissues.
Further research will definitely put mussels in the forefront of natural cleaners of the sea. Mussels along with oysters are already in use to cleanse the sea of pesticides.
