IQUIBICEN   23947
INSTITUTO DE QUIMICA BIOLOGICA DE LA FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS EXACTAS Y NATURALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
capítulos de libros
Título:
Aquatic ecotoxicology: native freshwater gastropods from Argentina
Autor/es:
HERBERT, LUCILA THOMSETT; KRISTOFF, GISELA; COSSI, PAULA FANNY; BOBURG, BEVERLY
Libro:
Ecotoxicology in Latin America
Editorial:
Nova publishers
Referencias:
Año: 2017; p. 23 - 36
Resumen:
The increasing worldwide contamination of freshwater systems with a wide range of chemical compounds is one of the main environmental problems that humanity faces nowadays. These contaminants, such as pesticides, disturb natural ecosystems and can have a great impact on the species that inhabit them. Traditionally, environmental monitoring programs were based on detecting and determining the concentration of contaminants. However, they did not necessarily reflect the actual impact on the environment. Lately, programs have included bioassays and sensitive biomarkers as effective tools to obtain an integrated overview of aquatic ecotoxicology. Our research group uses bioassays to study whether environmental concentrations of toxic compounds used in Argentina can produce effects on native gastropods. Our research lines involve the native freshwater snails Biomphalaria straminea, widely distributed in northeastern Argentina, and Chilina gibbosa, endemic to freshwaters of the Argentine Patagonia. The first studies we carried out were focused on the organophosphate azinphos-methyl, which has been detected in freshwater courses at concentrations higher than those recommended for aquatic life protection. We found different sublethal effects after exposures to environmental concentrations in both species. B. straminea is resistant to an acute exposure, but shows toxic effects after subchronic exposures, which has driven further studies on reproduction and offspring. C. gibbosa, however, is highly sensitive to azinphos-methyl, which has led us to consider it as a sentinel species. Our research allows us to contribute with a wide range of biomarker information, propose new sentinel species and provide data to reassess current guidelines for aquatic life protection.