A review of freshwater benthic clams (Corbicula fluminea): Accumulation capacity, underlying physiological mechanisms and environmental applications

Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) have been extensively applied in biomonitoring and other environmental fields based on their high enrichment capacity and rapid response to pollutants. This review first summarizes the kinetic process of metals and organic pollutants enriched by C. fluminea and discusses the environmental behavior and application. The accumulation ability of Cu, Zn, and Mn were significantly higher than that of other metals, which were attributed to their high uptake rate constant and low elimination rate constant. The visceral mass was found to be the major burden tissue. However, large knowledge gaps existed regarding the accumulation capacity of C. fluminea for organic pollut-ants and nanoparticles. Moreover, physiological mechanisms underlying the accumulation of environmental pollut-ants were proposed. C. fluminea can improve the niche of benthic algae by ingesting pelagic algae, mitigating water eutrophication. It can also remove pathogens and parasites based on the biological assimilation of nonspecific immu-nity, interrupting disease transmission. The novel insight into the application of C. fluminea in wastewater treatment further broadens the range of pest management strategies and offers the feasibility of blocking the spread of invasive bivalves.

Automated summary

Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) have been widely used in biomonitoring and environmental applications due to their high enrichment capacity and rapid response to pollutants. This review summarizes the accumulation process of metals and organic pollutants by C. fluminea, and discusses their environmental behavior and applications. The accumulation ability of Cu, Zn, and Mn is significantly higher than other metals, attributed to their high uptake rate constant and low elimination rate constant. However, knowledge gaps exist regarding the accumulation of organic pollutants and nanoparticles, and the physiological mechanisms underlying the accumulation of environmental pollutants by C. fluminea. The review also highlights the potential applications of C. fluminea in wastewater treatment, pest management, and blocking invasive bivalve spread.