Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis, L.) were exposed to a single dose of 1 ppb benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) under subtidal (SC) or tidal conditions (TC; 6 h immersion, 6 h emersion) in order to follow its bioaccumulation in whole mussel and mantle tissue, and to compare BaP-mediated toxicity on lipids (malonaldehyde formation, MDA) in the mantle. Rapid uptake of BaP (70-80% of BaP initially introduced in tanks) was observed in both conditions after 12 h, but subsequent depuration in clean water was slower in TC mussels. BaP levels decreased in whole tissue in both conditions between 12 and 24 h, but increased in mantle. The mantle BaP levels were similar during the first 4 days in SC and TC, but whereas they decreased in SC after 7 days. BaP was retained at high levels in mantle in TC until the end of the study (14 days). In both conditions, significant increases (P < 0.05) in lipid peroxidation were observed after 4 days, but MDA levels were approximately 3 times higher in the mantle of TC than SC mussels, although BaP tissue concentrations were similar. These observations suggested that increased BaP-mediated toxicity in mantle lipid was due to the interactive effect of the tidal cycle of immersion/emersion on BaP-mediated oxidative damage.