Bioindicators and Biomarkers of Environmental Pollution in the Middle-Lower Basin of the Suquía River (Córdoba, Argentina)

Abstract

The Suquía River middle-lower basin (Córdoba, Argentina) is subject to a strong anthropogenic impact because it receives pollutants from different sources. Recent studies have shown the importance and the need of approaching the monitoring process of water quality from integral perspectives through the use of chemical as well as biological methods. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the fish species Jenynsia multidentata as a bioindicator of environmental pollution in the middle-lower basin of the Suquía River using biotransformation and antioxidant enzymes as well as gill and liver histopathology as biomarkers. We also studied the fish-assemblage characteristics through the fish species pattern variation and the application of a biotic index based on fish data. Our study also included the analysis of a water-quality index, heavy-metal concentrations in sediment and water, and pesticide concentrations in sediment. The chemical analyses of the middle-lower Suquía River basin showed a water-quality degradation gradient. Fish-assemblage structure changed with increasing water pollution, showing a simpler structure at the most polluted area. According to the biotic index, the variation pattern of fish assemblages reflected the aquatic environmental deterioration. Both molecular and histopathological biomarkers reflected the same trend in relation to water quality. However, enzymes varied with more acute precision between seasons. In addition, each enzyme presented with different sensibility. At tissue level, the histopathological analysis detected chronic contamination at both stations and seasons. The present work, which comprises different levels of biological organization together with chemical analyses, generated particular although complementary information, thus evidencing the same trend of aquatic contamination. Thus, the development of integral investigations gives a comprehensive approach and becomes the most effective tool to construct policies both preventive and palliative. Our study constitutes a good model to be applied in other endorheic basins of South America.

Taxonomy, distribution and population structure of invasive Corbiculidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in the Suquía River basin, Córdoba, Argentina

“…The middle section of the basin is reported to have significant levels of water contamination (Wunderlin et al, 2001;Nimptsch et al, 2005;Contardo-Jara et al, 2009;Maggioni et al, 2012). High levels of pollutants (ammonium, nitrate, calcium, coliforms) and low dissolved oxygen values were measured previously in the localities of Malvinas Argentinas and Río Primero.…”

Bioaccumulation and bioconcentration of carbamazepine and other pharmaceuticals in fish under field and controlled laboratory experiments. Evidences of carbamazepine metabolization by fish

“…G. affinis is an introduced species, very resistant to unfavorable conditions (Pyke, 2005) and proposed as a bioindicator of invaded Neotropical basins (Rautenberg et al, 2015). J. multidentata is a native species, previously proposed as bioindicator of pollution in the basin (Monferrán et al, 2011;Maggioni et al, 2012). Fish were anesthetized with ice and sacrificed by transecting the spinal cord at the moment of the capture, washed with ultrapure water, wrapped in aluminum film and transported to the laboratory at 4°C.…”

“…Female adults of the native fish species J. multidentata (Cyprinodontiformes, Anablepidae) (total weight: 0.5 ± 0.2 g; standard length: 29 ± 2 mm) were selected for laboratory bioassays, considering their usefulness as a bioindicator of water pollution (Ballesteros et al, 2007(Ballesteros et al, , 2011Cazenave et al, 2008;Guyón et al, 2012;Hued et al, 2012;Maggioni et al, 2012;Roggio et al, 2014). Fish were collected by fish net at a reference site (Yuspe River, 64°32'W; 31°17'S, Córdoba, Argentina) , and transported to the laboratory in aerated 20 L water tanks.…”

Effects of water quality on aspects of reproductive biology of Cnesterodon decemmaculatus

“…The pollution gradient of the Suquía River has been characterized using physicochemical parameters, integrated in a water quality index proposed by Pesce and Wunderlin (2000). Also, it has been evaluated through different approaches involving the measurement of diverse chemical compounds as well as through the status of resident biota (Hued and Bistoni, 2005;Monferrán et al, 2011;Maggioni et al, 2012;Bonansea et al, 2013). In particular, fish individuals have been considered as useful tools in environmental water quality assessment.…”