Monitoring water quality in reservoirs for human supply through multi-biomarker evaluation in tropical fish

Abstract

Paraíba do Sul River is located at a very densely inhabited region of Brazil crossing the three most industrialized states of the country (São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro states). As a result, industrial and farming residues as well as urban sewage are frequently disposed without appropriate treatment. The current study aimed at investigating the water quality in three reservoirs along the Paraíba do Sul River (Ilha dos Pombos, Santa Cecília and Santa Branca), through physiological, morphological, biochemical, and genetic biomarkers. The bioindicator chosen was the catfish Pimelodus maculatus, sampled during the dry (June 2008) and rainy (February 2009) seasons. Also, some water physicochemical parameters were analyzed from the sampling sites, but displayed no alterations according to the Brazilian Agency for Water Quality Legislation. Branchial carbonic anhydrase activity was inhibited in the dry season, while renal carbonic anhydrase activity was inhibited in the rainy season in the Santa Branca reservoir, indicating disturbance of osmoregulatory and acid-base regulation processes. Histopathological alterations were observed in the gills (neoplasic and tissue hyperplasia processes) and liver (necrosis), indicating serious damage to the functional integrity of these organs. A high incidence of melanomacrophage centers was observed in the liver, suggesting an intense immune response in all reservoirs. Acetylcholinesterase and catalase activity showed also differences corroborating some morphological results. Likewise, the induction of the micronucleus and DNA damage indicate genotoxicity, but mainly in the Santa Branca reservoir. Thus, the health status of P. maculatus warrants caution in the use of the water from the 3 reservoirs for direct human consumption, particularly after the accidental spill of endosulfan in November 2008, three months before the rainy season sampling.

Bioavailability of pollutants sets risk of exposure to biota and human population in reservoirs from Iguaçu River (Southern Brazil)

“…In this context, a multi-biomarker approach is a more suitable analysis to detect earlier biological responses triggered by pollutants (de Andrade Brito et al 2012;Linde-Arias et al 2008;Osório et al 2014). This approach will provide a better ecotoxicological scenario necessary for environmental management (Mills and Chichester, 2005).…”

“…Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was analyzed only for G. brasiliensis liver supernatants. Previously published protocols (Costa et al 2010a(Costa et al , 2010bde Andrade Brito et al 2012;Osório et al, 2014) were utilized for analyzing all biochemical biomarkers.…”

Carbonic Anhydrase as Pollution Biomarker: An Ancient Enzyme with a New Use

“…The measurement of this enzyme can contribute to better appreciate the pollutant induced stress syndrome in living organisms because of the involvement of CA in a number of physiological processes (including pH homeostasis, osmoregulation, and calcification). For example the water quality in three reservoirs along the Paraiba do Sul River (located at a very densely inhabited region of Brazil in a high industrialized area) was monitored through physiological, morphological, genetic and biochemical biomarkers, including carbonic anhydrase activity inhibition, in the bioindicator fish Pimelodus maculates [67]. …”

In Situ Assessment of a Neotropical Fish to Evaluate Pollution in a River Receiving Agricultural and Urban Wastewater

“…They provide integrative data regarding the health of biota and the risks of exposure to human populations, and they have recently been used in numerous biomonitoring studies (Abdel-Moneim et al 2012;Brito et al 2012;Azevedo et al 2013).…”

“…Thus, biomonitoring programs have become relevant, principally because the effects of agricultural and urban pollution on fishes can be evaluated individually or cumulatively. The results of these biomonitoring studies can be subside to conservation programs and regulatory laws (Brito et al 2012).…”