Use of integrated biomarker indexes for assessing the impact of receiving waters on a native neotropical teleost fish

BAUDOU, FEDERICO G.; OSSANA, NATALIA A.; CASTAÑÉ, PATRICIA M.; MASTRÁNGELO, MARTINA M.; GONZÁLEZ NÚÑEZ, AYELEN A.; PALACIO, MAURO J.; FERRARI, LUCRECIA

THE SCIENCE OF TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

elsevier

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 vol. 650 p. 1779 - 1786

0048-9697

In the field of aquatic ecotoxicology, indexes obtained from a battery of biomarkers have proved to be a usefultool for assessing quantifiable and integrated health responses of organisms exposed to pollutants. The objectiveof thisworkwas to evaluate the effects of exposure to the Reconquista River water (RR) on adults of Cnesterodondecemmaculatus using different integrated indexes. We conducted a 12-d laboratory assay involving the exposureof fish to RR, a negative control (moderately hard water - MHW medium), and a positive control (forgenotoxicitywithMHW+Cyclophosphamide, CP). There were measured metabolic (food intake and specific assimilation,specific metabolic rate, oxygen extraction efficiency, ammonia excretion, and ammonia quotient),genotoxic (comet assay, micronucleus test, and nuclear abnormalities), morphological variables (total length,body and liver weight) and biochemical variables (Electron Transport System - ETS, Acetylcholinesterase activity- AChE, Catalase - CAT, Glutathione-S-transferase - GST, Glutathione content - GSH and tissue proteins). Thesevariables were grouped into different indexes: morphological (Condition Factor - K and Liver Somatic Index-LSI), metabolic (Scope for Growth-SFG), genetic damage (GDI) and integrated biomarker response - IBR (AChEbrain, CAT, GST and GSH liver, GSH gills, ETSmuscle) indexes. Results indicated that RR water induced metabolic,biochemical and genetic damages. The SFG, GDI and IBR were suitable to assess the effects of exposure to an environmentalsample in an integrated approach, reducing uncertainty due to inherent biomarker variability. Theseindexes have emerged as promising tools for environmental monitoring studies.