Coastal transitional waters are exposed to many anthropogenic threats. This study aims to assess the trace metals' pollution status of transitional waters by evaluating its biological effects in the clam Venerupis decussata. Among the studied sites along the Tunisian littoral, South Tunis and Boughrara were the most impacted, since clams from these two lagoons presented significant differences in: (i) trace metal contents, (ii) in-cell hydrogen peroxide, (iii) enzymatic and non-enzymatic defenses, (iv) damage to lipids and proteins, and (v) protein post-translational modifications. These changes related to evident histopathological traits. PCA showed a clear separation between the digestive gland and gills tissues and illustrated an impact gradient in Tunisian coastal lagoons. Water temperature was revealed as an added natural stressor that, when concurring with high pollution, may jeopardize an ecosystem's health and contribute to the accumulation of hazardous metals in organisms.

沿海过渡水域面临许多人为威胁。这项研究旨在通过评估过渡金属在蛤仔Venerupis decussata中的生物效应来评估其对金属的污染状况。在沿突尼斯沿海，南突尼斯和布法拉拉研究的地点中，受影响最严重，因为来自这两个泻湖的蛤presented在以下方面存在显着差异：（i）痕量金属含量，（ii）胞内过氧化氢，（iii）酶促和非酶防御，（iv）对脂质和蛋白质的损害，以及（v）蛋白质翻译后修饰。这些变化与明显的组织病理学特征有关。五氯苯甲醚显示出消化腺和g组织之间的清晰分离，并说明了突尼斯沿海泻湖的影响梯度。水温被揭示为一种额外的自然压力源，当遭受高污染时，水温可能会危害生态系统的健康并促进有机物中有害金属的积累。