Exposure to crack cocaine causes adverse effects on marine mussels Perna perna.

Our study aimed to evaluate crack cocaine effects in different life stages of the marine mussel Perna perna. For this purpose, fertilization rate, embryo-larval development, lysosomal membrane stability and DNA strand breaks were assessed. Effect concentrations in gametes and in larval development were found after 1h (IC50=23.53mg·L(-1)) and 48h (IC50=16.31mg·L(-1)), respectively. The highest tested concentration showing no acute toxicity (NOEC) was 10mg·L(-1), while the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) was 20mg·L(-1). NOEC concerning embryo-larval development was 0.625mg·L(-1), while the LOEC was 1.25mg·L(-1). Cyto-genotoxic effects were evidenced in mussels exposed to crack cocaine concentrations ranging from 5 to 500μg·L(-1). Our results report the first data on effects of an illicit drug to marine organisms and should encourage further ecotoxicological studies of these contaminants of emerging concern in coastal ecosystems.