Biomonitoring organotin pollution with gastropods and mussels

Abstract

In order to compare their performance for the biomonitoring of organotin (OT) pollution, Galician (NW Spain) populations of gastropods Nassarius reticulatus and mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis were sampled in 2000. Imposex (a set of sexual anomalies) in snails as well as the bioaccumulation of several OT species (mainly tributyltin [TBT]) in both invertebrates were determined. Imposex was related to TBT in female gastropod tissues in a biphasic manner, the slope changing markedly at around 200 ng Sn g -1 dry wt. OT compounds in both animal species were significantly correlated, mussels consistently accumulating more than gastropods; in addition, correlation coefficients considerably increased when outliers were excluded from computation with the aid of fine chemical speciation analyses. The expected decline of OT pollution can satisfactorily be recorded by means of monitoring concentrations in either mussels and/or gastropods. However, the use of the latter is favoured because their imposex response is an easily determined biomarker, which additionally provides useful insights into the biological impact of TBT.

Generalized system of imposex and reproductive failure in female gastropods of coastal waters of mainland China

“…The generalized scheme also made the classification of imposex and assessment of the VDSI for several main variations clear in previous attempts (Ruiz et al 2005). For example, the sterile female in Nassarius reticulatus could be classified as Stage 5 or 6, and the score would be correspondingly calculated as 5 or 6.…”

“…Subsequently, the variability in the classification makes the assessment of imposex problematic when comparing different investigations if different values of the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI) are used for the same expression (Ruiz et al 2005). For example, the VDSI of Nassarius reticulatus at S 4* has been computed as 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0 by different researchers , Barreiro et al 2001, Barroso et al 2002.…”

Predicted concentrations of biocides from antifouling paints in Visakhapatnam Harbour

“…Chronic exposure at concentrations of approximately 1 ng/L is known to cause imposex in mudsnails (Bryan et al, 1989). The persistence of TBT in the aquatic environment is dependent on a large number of complex and interrelated physico-chemical parameters (Ruiz et al, 1998(Ruiz et al, , 2005. Its persistence in the marine environment is due to its high affinity towards particulate matter and slow release into the water column.…”

Assessment of Digenean Parasitism in Nassarius reticulatus (L.) along the Portuguese Coast: Evaluation of Possible Impacts on Reproduction and Imposex Expression

“…Nassarius reticulatus is a ubiquitous gastropod of European coasts that has been used by several authors (Stroben et al, 1992;Bryan et al, 1993;Barreiro et al, 2001;Santos et al, 2004;Barroso et al, 2005;Ruiz et al, 2005;Sousa et al, 2005;Rato et al, 2006) in studies of imposex assessment, an induced endocrine disruption phenomenon caused by organotin compounds of antifouling paints (mainly TBT). In the current work, N. reticulatus was found to be an intermediate host for 6 species of digenean trematode parasites, i.e., C. longicollis, Cercaria sevillana (the cercariae of Gynaetotyla longiintestinata), D. brusinae, H. quissetensis, L. album, and an unknown zoogonid cercariae.…”