title: Validation of Arenicola marina in field toxicity bioassays using benthic cages: biomarkers as tools for assessing sediment quality.
abstract: Sediment toxicity assessments using caged organisms present advantages over using laboratory and native community studies. The use of caged Arenicola marina in sediment toxicity assessments was evaluated. Lugworms were exposed in situ to sediments from coastal and port areas in Spain for seven days, and the activities of the biotransformation enzymes ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, dibenzylfluorescein dealkylase and glutathione S-transferase, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation were then analyzed as biomarkers. Biomarker results and sediment physicochemical data were integrated. Cádiz Bay (SW Spain) sediments presented metal contamination that was not linked to a biochemical response. In LPGC Port (SW Spain), Pb contamination exhibited a moderate toxic potential, while PAHs, and presumably pharmaceuticals, provoked biochemical responses that efficiently prevented lipid peroxidation. In Santander Bay (N Spain), exposure to PAHs and, presumably, pharmaceuticals induced biomarker responses, but lipid peroxidation occurred nevertheless. These results indicated that caged A. marina were effective for the assessment of sediment quality and that the selected biomarkers were sufficiently sensitive to identify chemical exposure and toxicity.
authors.affiliation: UNITWIN/UNESCO/WiCoP, Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Cádiz, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain. julia.ramosgomez@uca.es
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos-Gómez
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raimundo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: M Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martín-Díaz
authors.forename: T Angel
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: DelValls
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D013030:Spain; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008670:Metals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase