title: Impact of treated wastewater on organismic biosensors at various levels of biological organization.
abstract: Relating the treated wastewater quality and its impact on organismic biosensors (Prussian carp, Carassius gibelio and earthworm, Eisenia fetida) was the main objective of the study. The impact on health status of fish living downstream, microbiological contamination and antimicrobial resistance, fish tissue structure, blood biochemistry, oxidative stress, genotoxic effects, as well as multixenobiotic resistance mechanism (MXR) was assessed. Treated wastewater discharged from the WWTP modified the environmental parameters and xenobiotic concentrations of the receiving surface waters. Potential bacterial pathogens from fish and respective waters were found in relatively low numbers, although they comprised aeromonads with a zoonotic potential. High resistance profiles were determined towards the tested antimicrobial compounds, mostly sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin. Histopathology primarily revealed gill lamellar fusion and reduction of interlamellar spaces of effluent fish. A significant increase in plasma values of urea, total proteins, albumins and triglycerides and a significant decrease in the activity of plasma superoxide dismutase were noted in carp from the effluent-receiving canal. Micronucleus test did not reveal significant differences between the examined groups, but a higher frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities was found in fish sampled from the effluent-receiving canal. Earthworms indicated to the presence of MXR inhibitors in water and sludge samples, thus proving as a sensitive sentinel organism for environmental pollutants. The integrative approach of this study could serve as a guiding principle in conducting evaluations of the aquatic habitat health in complex bio-monitoring studies.
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: ntopic@irb.hr.
authors: Natalija
authors: N
authors: Topić Popović
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Ivančica
authors: I
authors: Strunjak-Perović
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Roberta Sauerborn
authors: RS
authors: Klobučar
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Josip
authors: J
authors: Barišić
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Sanja
authors: S
authors: Babić
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Margita
authors: M
authors: Jadan
authors: Virkom d.o.o, Public Water Supply and Wastewater Services, Kralja Petra Krešimira IV 30, Virovitica. Croatia.
authors: Slavko
authors: S
authors: Kepec
authors: Laboratory for Chemical Kinetics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Snježana P
authors: SP
authors: Kazazić
authors: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Vesna
authors: V
authors: Matijatko
authors: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Blanka
authors: B
authors: Beer Ljubić
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Car
authors: Croatian Waters, Main Water Management Laboratory, Ul. grada Vukovara 220, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Siniša
authors: S
authors: Repec
authors: Croatian Waters, Main Water Management Laboratory, Ul. grada Vukovara 220, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Draženka
authors: D
authors: Stipaničev
authors: Division of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Goran I V
authors: GI
authors: Klobučar
authors: Laboratory for Ichthyopathology-Biological Materials, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Rozelindra
authors: R
authors: Čož-Rakovac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Bacteria; Earthworm; Effluent; Fish; Genotoxicity; MXR; WWTP