Which two pre-harvest remediation methods are used when shellfish waters are contaminated?

• A. Boiling and Freezing
• B. Relaying and Depuration
• C. Chlorination and Filtration
• D. Drying and Smoking

Answer: (D)

Relaying and depuration are pre-harvest remediation methods used to reduce contaminants in shellfish before harvest. Relaying moves shellfish from polluted waters to cleaner ones for a period, allowing their natural filtering to purge accumulated contaminants and lower pathogen levels. Depuration places shellfish in controlled, clean seawater (often with filtration and sanitizing treatments) so contaminants are flushed out over time. Both approaches target the shellfish themselves while they are alive, before harvesting, to produce safer product.

The other options either describe post-harvest processing (boiling, drying, smoking, freezing) or water-treatment steps that aren’t the standard pre-harvest remediation used in shellfish harvest areas (chlorination and general filtration without the controlled depuration context).