A multi-level approach using Gambusia affinis as a bioindicator of environmental pollution in the middle-lower basin of Suquía River

RAUTENBERG, GISELA; MARIA VALERIA AME; MONFERRAN MAGDALENA V, WUNDERLIN DANIEL A, NIMPTSCH JORGE, PFLUGMACHER; ROCIO BONANSEA; ANDREA CECILIA HUED

ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 48 p. 706 - 720

1470-160X

The Suquía River middle-lower basin (Córdoba, Argentina) is subjected to a strong anthropogenic impactbecause it receives pollutants from different sources. The main goal of this study was to evaluate theintroducedfish species Gambusia affinis as a bioindicator of environmental pollution in the middle-lowerbasin of the Suquía River. The assessment was performed by measuring biomarkers at different levels ofbiological organization, at two sampling sites (before and after Córdoba city), and at dry and wet seasons.Water quality evaluation was made through a water-quality index (based on physico-chemicalparameters), heavy-metals and pesticides concentrations in water. The water quality varied betweensampling sites, showing the most degraded conditions downstream Córdoba city. The same pattern ofvariation was detected in the biomarkers studied, mainly in: gill and liver histopathological indexes,copulatory organ (gonopodium) morphology and vitellogenin expression in males and females. Thepresent study characterized the environmental conditions in the middle-lower basin of the Suquía Riverand revealed the low freshwater quality at the most polluted site. Although G. affinis is an introducedspecies, it could be considered a good sentinel of water resource quality of invaded Neotropical basins.Our results demonstrated the importance of addressing the environmental quality monitoring throughan integrated analysis of water quality parameters together with histological, morphologicaland molecular parameters. Thus, our study provides a good model for application in other basins ofSouth America.