Organochlorines as Environmental Tainting Substances: Taste Panel Study and Chemical Analyses of Incubated Mussels

Lake mussels (Anodonta piscinalis) incubated in freshwater stations upstream and downstream of a large pulp mill were studied for tainting by a panel of 18 persons. The tasted animal muscle and tissue water samples, and composites of other simultaneously incubated mussels were analyzed for organochlorine compounds. Bad taste scores were obtained for mussels from the nearest station downstream to the pulp mill and were significantly (p < 0.001 **) higher than those from other stations. A similar difference was observed for the measured chlorophenol, chloroanisole and chloroveratrole, chlorocymene and PCB contents. Chloroanisoles and chloroveratroles were indicated to form the main tai…