POLISH JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, cilt.31, sa.4, ss.1-7, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Effects of increasing levels of audible sound energy (500, 1000, 5000 Hz frequency) on attachment strength and mortality rates of zebra mussels were investigated in a long-term study for the control and deterrence of zebra mussel infestation. All groups exposed to sound treatments presented weight loss by 1.09, 1.44 and 2.07% in the 500 Hz, 1.000 Hz, and 5.000 Hz frequency groups, respectively, while mussels receiving no sound showed an increasing trend in weight gain by 1.37%. The mortality rate increased with both increasing levels of sound frequency, and the time-length of exposure duration within the same frequency level. Attachment strength declined with induced mortality of zebra mussel after 20 days of sound exposure, and nearly 50% of zebra mussels died by sound treatment of 5000 Hz frequency after 100-days of exposure. The findings in this study demonstrate that sound energy is a potential tool and a practical option for preventive management and control of zebra mussel biofouling in freshwater ecosystems.