Multibiomarker approach in fish to assess the impact of pollution in a large Brazilian river, Paraiba do Sul.
This article examines the advantages of the use of biomarkers as environmental indicators by applying it to Paraiba do Sul watershed, one of the most important Brazilian water bodies, which is in a critical environmental situation. We use a multibiomarker approach in fish as an integrated strategy to assess the impact of pollution. It comprehends a general biomarker of fish health, the condition factor (CF), and specific biomarkers of contaminant exposure such as metallothionein (MT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and biliary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) metabolites. Our results revealed different effects in the fish from diverse locations with varying degrees of pollution. Furthermore, fish located just upstream of the water-treatment plant of the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro has shown to be affected by metals. This study indicates the usefulness of integrating a set of biomarkers to define the effects of anthropogenic inputs in aquatic bodies under complex polluted situations.
Laboratório de Toxicologia, Centro de Estudos da Saúde do Trabalhador e Ecologia Humana, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. arlinde@ensp.fiocruz.br
Ana Rosa
AR
Linde-Arias
Alan F
AF
Inácio
Leonardo A
LA
Novo
Carla
C
de Alburquerque
Josino C
JC
Moreira
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000737:chemistry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D023681:Cichlids / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000032:analysis; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009132:Muscles / Q000201:enzymology; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
D015415:Biomarkers; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008668:Metallothionein; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase