Environmental Impact of Blue Mussel Aquaculture

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) have conducted a comprehensive study on the environmental footprint of blue mussel aquaculture. The study, published in Cleaner Environmental Systems, highlights the importance of harmonizing environmental impact assessments to obtain accurate and comparable results. The investigation found that blue mussel aquaculture has a significant environmental impact, with a global warming potential of 263 ± 179 kg CO2 eq., eutrophication potential of 0.13 ± 0.33 kg PO4 eq., and acidification potential of 2.072 ± 1.641 kg SO2 eq. per ton whole mussel.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study assessed 21 published studies on environmental footprint evaluations with life cycle assessments (LCA) on blue mussel aquaculture, enabling numerical comparison of environmental footprints.
  • The most frequently studied impact categories were global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and acidification potential, with average values of 263 ± 179 kg CO2 eq., 0.13 ± 0.33 kg PO4 eq., and 2.072 ± 1.641 kg SO2 eq. per ton whole mussel, respectively.
  • Variations of longlines were the most analyzed production method, and CML (Centrum voor Milieukunde Leiden) was the most used life cycle impact assessment method.
  • The most evaluated species was the blue mussel (M. galloprovincialis).
  • Future research should focus on establishing category rules or sector-wide agreements to address challenges such as nutrient remediation and carbon sequestration.
  • Expanding the range of impact categories evaluated will help distinguish differences across case studies.

Statistics:

  • Average global warming potential: 263 ± 179 kg CO2 eq. per ton whole mussel
  • Average eutrophication potential: 0.13 ± 0.33 kg PO4 eq. per ton whole mussel
  • Average acidification potential: 2.072 ± 1.641 kg SO2 eq. per ton whole mussel
  • Range of global warming potential: 9.52-627 kg CO2 eq.
  • Range of eutrophication potential: -0.89 - 0.44 kg PO4 eq.
  • Range of acidification potential: 0.71-6.5 kg SO2 eq.

Sources:

  • Footprint cohesion and prevalence of environmental impact categories in blue mussel aquaculture life cycle assessments. Cleaner Environmental Systems, 2025,18():100286. Elsevier.