title: The Hydra regeneration assay reveals ecological risks in running waters: a new proposal to detect environmental teratogenic threats.
abstract: The regenerative ability of Hydra vulgaris was tested as potential biomarker for the development of a new eco-toxicological index. The test is based on the regeneration rate and the aberration frequency of the columna (body and adhesive foot) after separation from head and tentacles by a bistoury. Particularly, 45 columnae were submerged in the rearing solution (that is Hydra medium) to have control, and 285 in potential contaminated waters to have treatments, collected from 19 sites along 10 rivers in central Italy. ANCOVA and chi-square tests were used to compare values from each site to a laboratory control. Subsequently the values on regeneration rate and aberration frequency were inserted in a double entry matrix, where the match of the two entries in the matrix provides the score of the proposed Teratogenic Risk Index (TRI). Each score corresponded to one of the 5 teratogenic risk classes, to which a risk level was associated: from 1 (no risk) to 5 (very high risk). On the whole, 32% of the studied sites were classified as no teratogenic risk while the remaining showed a variable risk level from low to very high. This study proposed for the first time an early warning system to detect the presence of teratogens in running waters, providing a rapid and cost-effective evaluation method. Therefore, TRI may contribute to initiate adequate measures to manage riverine habitats, and to monitor the running water teratogenic status. Specifically, this index may provide the opportunity to identify the disturbance sources and then to drive the decisions, together with competent authorities, on the catchment and landscape management and on the possible use of waters for urban, agricultural, and industrial activities, since they may show significant effects on the human health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traversetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.
authors.forename: Floriano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Del Grosso
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.|Institute for Research on Pain, ISAL-Foundation, Via San Salvador 204, Rimini, 47922, TP, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Malafoglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colasanti
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceschin
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Sciences, University Rome Tre, V.le G. Marconi 446, Rome, 00146, Italy. massimiliano.scalici@uniroma3.it.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scalici
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006829:Hydra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D013723:Teratogens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D013723:Teratogens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Eco-toxicology; Environmental monitoring; Freshwater; Human health; Hydra vulgaris