title: Anxiety-like behaviour in mice exposed to tannery wastewater: The effect of photoelectrooxidation treatment.
abstract: The leather industry is a major producer of wastewaters and releases large quantities of many different chemical agents used in hide processing into the environment. Since the central nervous system is sensitive to many different contaminants, our aim was to investigate the neurobehavioral effects of exposure of mice to tannery effluents using animal models of depression and anxiety, namely forced swim and elevated plus-maze. In order to propose a clean technology for the treatment of this effluent, we also investigated the exposure of mice to effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation process (PEO). Adult male Swiss albino mice (CF1 strain) were given free access to water bottles containing an effluent treated by a tannery (non-PEO) or PEO-treated tannery wastewater (0.1 and 1% in drinking water). Exposure to tannery wastewater induced behavioural changes in the mice in elevated plus-maze. Exposure to non-PEO 1% decreased the percentage of time spent in the open arms, indicating anxiety-like behaviour. Exposure to tannery wastewater did not alter immobility time in the forced swim test, suggesting that tannery effluents did not induce depression-like behaviour in the mice. These behavioural data suggest that non-PEO tannery effluent has an anxiogenic effect, whereas PEO-treated tannery effluents do not alter anxiety levels.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90046-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. ionara@ufrgs.br
authors.forename: Ionara Rodrigues
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanzella
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bianchetti
authors.forename: Marco Antonio Siqueira
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stülp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013550:Swimming; D013633:Tanning; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000633:toxicity*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical