title: A multibiomarker approach in the clam Ruditapes decussatus to assess the impact of pollution in the Ria Formosa lagoon, South Coast of Portugal.
abstract: The Ria Formosa lagoon is an ecosystem whose water quality reflects the anthropogenic influence upon the surrounding areas. In this lagoon, the clam Ruditapes decussatus has a great economical importance and has been widely used as a biomonitor. A multibiomarker approach (δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, metallothionein, lipid peroxidation, acetylcholinesterase, alkali-labile phosphates, DNA damage) was applied to assess the environmental quality of this ecosystem and the accumulation of contaminants and their potential adverse effects on clams. Clams were sampled in different shellfish beds in the period between July 2007 and December 2008 and abiotic parameters (temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen of seawater and organic matter in the sediment), condition index, metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb), TBTs and PAHs concentrations were measured in clam tissues. Data was integrated using Principal Component Analyses and biomarker indices: IBR (Integrated Biomarker Response) and HSI (Health Status Index). This multibiomarker approach enabled discrimination of a time and space trend between sites with different degrees of anthropogenic contamination, identifying one of them (site 2) as the most stressful and summer months as the most critical period for clams due to an increase of environmental stress (anthropogenic pressure along with extreme environmental conditions, e.g. temperature, dissolved oxygen, organic matter in the sediments, etc). The selected biomarkers provided an integrated response to assess the environmental quality of the system, proving to be a useful approach when complex mixtures of contaminants occur.
authors: CIMA-Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Cravo
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pereira
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Gomes
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Cardoso
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Serafim
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Almeida
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Rocha
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Lopes
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Company
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Medeiros
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Norberto
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Pereira
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Araújo
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Bebianno
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005880:Gills / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D011174:Portugal; D012623:Seawater; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011559:tributyltin; D008668:Metallothionein; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase