A multilevel response approach reveals the Asian clam Corbicula largillierti as a mirror of aquatic pollution

REYNA, P.B.; BALLESTEROS, M.L.; ALBÁ, M.L.; BERTRAND, L.; GONZÁLEZ, M.; MIGLIORANZA, K.S.B.; TATIÁN, M.; HUED, A.C.

THE SCIENCE OF TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Springer

Año: 2019 vol. 692 p. 175 - 187

0048-9697

The endobenthic bivalves are widely used as a bioindicators since they inhabit the sediment-water interface andare able to accumulate a different kind of contaminants. In the present work, we evaluated wild Corbiculalargillierti (Phillippi, 1844) as a bioindicator of water quality in the central region of Argentina. The responsesat different levels of the biological organization were used. We measured organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) levels inwater and clams tissues. The biomarkers selectedwere enzymaticactivities (Glutathione S-Transferase, Catalase, Acetyl-, Butyryl-cholinesterase, and Carboxylesterase) morphometryof the digestive gland, condition index and morphology of valves. In order to integrate all the responses amultivariate analysis and integrated stress indexwere applied. Our results showed the presence of contaminantsalong the studied river and the ability of C. largillierti to bioaccumulate them. All the biomarkers selected variedaccording to the water quality gradient, although there was no specific correlation with OCPs and PCBs levels. Atthemost polluted sites, the detoxification and oxidative stress enzymes, themorphometric analysis of the digestivegland and the variation in themorphology of the valves indicated the water quality degradation. The multivariateanalyses allowed to discriminate the sites according to the different biomarker responses. The IBR index also showed a variation pattern according to the environmental quality gradient along the basin. According to theresponses shown by C. largillierti we suggest this species as an useful bioindicator of aquatic pollution