Imposex in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, as evidence of organotin contamination in the marine environment of Korea

Imposer was measured in the rock shell, Thais clavigera, from the coast of the Korean peninsula. Frequency of imposer was 0% at two reference sites, but at 47 out of 61 sites, frequency of imposer was recorded as 100%. The degree of imposer was relatively high at the sites near a harbor and a shipyard. Tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) concentrations in T. clavigera ranged from 5 to 508 ng/g and from 3 to 2460 ng/g, respectively. A significant positive relationship was found between degree of imposer and organotin concentration, whereas a significant negative relationship was obtained between female-to-male sex ratio and the degree of imposer. During a field transplantation of T. clavigera from a pristine area to a port, TBT and TPT were accumulated in T. clavigera, and imposer was induced. T. clavigera shows considerable potential as a bioindicator species of the adverse effects of TBT and TPT contamination. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.