Intersite variations of a battery of biomarkers at different levels of biological organisation in the estuarine endobenthic worm Nereis diversicolor (Polychaeta, Nereididae)

First study on the determination of baseline biomarkers in Mimachlamys varia for an intra-port environmental biomonitoring in French Atlantic coastline (La Rochelle)

The characterization of organic and inorganic environmental pollution in coastal ecosystems, such as port areas, is complex and difficult to carry out due to the effect of environmental variables, as well as anthropic activities. For this study, the objective was to define a statistical method, taking into account the confounding factors influence, to define reference values for biomarkers in the black scallop (Mimachlamys varia). Thus, for five biomarkers (SOD (Superoxyde Dismutase), GST (Glutathion-S Transferase), MDA (Malondialdehyde), AChE (Acetylcholinesterase) and LAC (Laccase)), reference data could be described for individuals placed on sites more or less strongly impacted by specific environmental contaminations in port areas for more than two years, which had never been done before. All these results enabled us to calibrate and validate our approach in terms of active biomonitoring for the evaluation of a good ecological status of the environment of a port located on the French Atlantic coast.

The Role of Temperature on the Impact of Remediated Water towards Marine Organisms

Marine organisms are frequently exposed to pollutants, including trace metals, derived from natural and anthropogenic activities. In order to prevent environmental pollution, different approaches have been applied to remove pollutants from waste water and avoid their discharge into aquatic systems. However, organisms in their natural aquatic environments are also exposed to physico-chemical changes derived from climate change-related factors, including temperature increase. According to recent studies, warming has a negative impact on marine wildlife, with known effects on organisms physiological and biochemical performance. Recently, a material based on graphene oxide (GO) functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) proved to be effective in the remediation of mercury (Hg) contaminated water. Nevertheless, no information is available on the toxic impacts of such remediated water towards aquatic systems, neither under actual nor predicted temperature conditions. For this, the present study assessed the toxicity of seawater, previously contaminated with Hg and remediated by GO-PEI, using the clam species Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to actual and a predicted temperature conditions. The results obtained demonstrated that seawater contaminated with Hg and/or Hg+GO-PEI induced higher toxicity in clams exposed to 17 and 22 °C compared to organisms exposed to remediated seawater at the same temperatures. Moreover, similar histological and biochemical results were observed between organisms exposed to control and remediated seawater, independently of the temperatures (17 and 21 °C), highlighting the potential use of GO-PEI to remediate Hg from seawater without significant toxicity issues to the selected marine species.

Is there a link between acetylcholinesterase, behaviour and density populations of the ragworm Hediste diversicolor?

The main objective of the present study was to explore the potential link between acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and burrowing behaviour of the ragworm Hediste diversicolor, which may have consequences at higher levels of biological organisation. Two complementary studies were conducted. AChE activity, at the sub-individual level, and behavioural responses, at the individual level, were evaluated in worms from the Loire estuary (France), whereas density and biomass of H. diversicolor were determined at the population level. A Spearman positive correlation between both biomarkers (AChE and burrowing) suggested that inhibition of AChE activity was linked to behaviour impairments. At the population level, lower AChE and behaviour activities were detected in worms corresponding to lower population density and biomass. These results provide direct empirical field evidence demonstrating the sensitivity of behaviour of H. diversicolor as a biomonitor of estuarine health status assessment.

Baseline levels of biochemical biomarkers in the endobenthic ragworm Hediste diversicolor as useful tools in biological monitoring of estuaries under anthropogenic pressure

Identification of contamination in estuarine ecosystems that are impacted by anthropogenic pressures, such as the Seine estuary, is difficult to determine without considering the role environmental variation plays on the end points selected. Currently, there is interest in identifying methods in which the influence of confounding factors can be described and accounted for. In this context, the aim of this study was to define a baseline assessment criteria (BAC) for enzymatic biomarkers in ragworms (Hediste diversicolor) collected in a reference site (Authie). The model took into consideration the weight, temperature and salinity of the site. Values collected in the Seine estuary were analyzed with the model to determine if differences between the sites could potentially be due to contamination or were explained by environmental variation. In general, biomarker responses from the Seine estuary fell within the range of BAC, suggesting that environmental variation could explain some of the results.

Assessment of oxidative stress and bioaccumulation of the metals Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd in the polychaete Perinereis gualpensis from estuaries of central Chile

The estuaries of the Aconcagua and Maipo Rivers of central Chile are receptors of residues that contain metals from anthropic activities including agriculture, mining and smelters, which have different levels in the two basins. This study postulates that the exposition to metals is different in the two estuaries and that their sediments contain bioavailable chemical agents that produce oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of estuarine sediments on the polychaete Perinereis gualpensis using oxidative stress biomarkers and to determine the metal concentrations in sediments and their accumulation in P. gualpensis. Sediments and organisms were collected in December 2015 and January 2016 in the estuaries. The Catapilco estuary was used as control, since its basin has little anthropic activity. The metal concentrations of Fe Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd were determined in tissues of the organisms and in sediments. The granulometry, conductivity, redox potential, pH and organic matter in sediments were determined, as well as catalase activity and lipid peroxidation. The results show that the concentrations of metals in sediments were higher in the estuary of the Aconcagua River: Cu: 48 ± 2μgg^-1; Fe: 154 ± 19mgg^-1, Pb: 20 ± 3μgg^-1 and Zn: 143 ± 20μgg^-1. In tissues, Pb and Fe were higher in the estuary of the Maipo River, while Cd was detected only in the Catapilco River mouth. Catalase activity was greater in the estuary of the Aconcagua River and lipid peroxidation in the estuary of the Catapilco River. Significant regressions were found between biomarkers of oxidative stress and metal concentrations in tissues of P. gualpensis. In conclusion, the sediments of the studied estuaries contain bioavailable chemical agents that provoke oxidative stress in P. gualpensis, which may be a risk for the benthic communities of these ecosystems. This species is proposed to monitor metals bioavailability and oxidative stress in estuarine sediments.

The impacts of emergent pollutants on Ruditapes philippinarum: biochemical responses to carbon nanoparticles exposure

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are one of the most important carbon Nanoparticles (NPs). The production and use of these NPs are increasing rapidly and, therefore, the need to assess their presence in the environment and associated risks has become of prime importance. Recent studies demonstrated the impacts of different NPs on bivalves, a taxonomic group where species tolerance to anthropogenic stressors, such as pollutants, is widely variable. The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is one of the most commonly used bivalve species in environmental monitoring studies and ecotoxicology tests, however, to our knowledge, no information is available on biochemical alterations on this species due to MWCNTs exposure. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the toxic effects of different MWCNT concentrations (0.01; 0.10 and 1.00mg/L) in R. philippinarum biochemical (energy reserves, metabolic capacity, oxidative status and neurotoxicity) performance, after 28days of exposure. The results obtained revealed that exposure to MWCNTs altered energy-related responses, with higher metabolic capacity and lower glycogen and protein concentrations in clams exposed to these carbon NPs. Moreover, R. philippinarum exposed to MWCNTs showed oxidative stress expressed in higher lipid peroxidation and lower ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione, despite the activation of defence mechanisms in exposed clams. Additionally, neurotoxicity was observed by inhibition of cholinesterases activity in organisms exposed to MWCNTs. The present study provides valuable information regarding how these emerging pollutans could become a potential risk for the environment and living organisms.

Physiological and biochemical impacts of graphene oxide in polychaetes: The case of Diopatra neapolitana

Graphene oxide (GO) is an important carbon nanomaterial (NM) that has been used, but limited literature is available regarding the impacts induced in aquatic organisms by this pollutant and, in particular in invertebrate species. The polychaete Diopatra neapolitana has frequently been used to evaluate the effects of environmental disturbances in estuarine systems due to its ecological and socio-economic importance but to our knowledge no information is available on D. neapolitana physiological and biochemical alterations due to GO exposure. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the toxic effects of different concentrations of GO (0.01; 0.10 and 1.00mg/L) in D. neapolitana physiological (regenerative capacity) and biochemical (energy reserves, metabolic activity and oxidative stress related biomarkers) performance, after 28days of exposure. The results obtained revealed that the exposure to GO induced negative effects on the regenerative capacity of D. neapolitana, with organisms exposed to higher concentrations regenerating less segments and taking longer periods to completely regenerate. GO also seemed to alter energy-related responses, especially glycogen content, with higher values in polychaetes exposed to GO which may result from a decreased metabolism (measured by electron transport system activity), when exposed to GO. Furthermore, under GO contamination D. neapolitana presented cellular damage, despite higher activities of antioxidant and biotransformation enzymes in individuals exposed to GO.

The impacts of pharmaceutical drugs under ocean acidification: New data on single and combined long-term effects of carbamazepine on Scrobicularia plana

Ocean acidification and increasing discharges of pharmaceutical contaminants into aquatic systems are among key and/or emerging drivers of environmental change affecting marine ecosystems. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that ocean acidification can have direct and indirect impacts on marine organisms although combined effects with other stressors, namely with pharmaceuticals, have received very little attention to date. The present study aimed to evaluate the impacts of the pharmaceutical drug Carbamazepine and pH 7.1, acting alone and in combination, on the clam Scrobicularia plana. For this, a long-term exposure (28 days)was conducted and a set of oxidative stress markers was investigated. The results obtained showed that S. plana was able to develop mechanisms to prevent oxidative damage when under low pH for a long period, presenting higher survival when exposed to this stressor compared to CBZ or the combination of CBZ with pH 7.1. Furthermore, the toxicity of CBZ on S. plana was synergistically increased under ocean acidification conditions (CBZ + pH 7.1): specimens survival was reduced and oxidative stress was enhanced when compared to single exposures. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that ocean acidification will act to increase the toxicity of CBZ to marine organisms,which has clear implications for coastal benthic ecosystems suffering chronic pollution from pharmaceutical drugs.

Preliminary evaluation of Diopatra neapolitana regenerative capacity as a biomarker for paracetamol exposure

An increasing number of studies established unequivocal relationships between exposure to pharmaceutical drugs and toxicity in wildlife. However, few studies investigated physiological alterations caused by such compounds in polychaetes. Thus, in this study, the effects of increasing concentrations of paracetamol were studied in the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana using tissue regenerative capacity as a biomarker. The obtained results revealed that individuals exposed to ecologically relevant concentrations (namely, 25 μg/L) of paracetamol exhibited significantly lower capacity to regenerate their body in comparison with control organisms. This study evidenced that paracetamol can induce significant physiological alterations in D. neapolitana resulting in an overall diminished regenerative capacity, which is of significance to a species with high ecological and economic relevance. Additionally, this study indicates the promise of D. neapolitana as a test organism in laboratory-based bioassays, but also as an adequate sentinel species to pharmaceutical drugs.

The effects of salinity changes on the Polychaete Diopatra neapolitana: Impacts on regenerative capacity and biochemical markers

Polychaetes have been identified by several authors as a group of marine invertebrates that respond rapidly to anthropogenic stressors. However, studies investigating alterations in Polychaetes affected by climate changes are scarce. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the impact of salinity changes (14, 21, 28, 35, 42g/L) on the physiological and biochemical performance of the Polychaete Diopatra neapolitana, evaluating the species regenerative ability and biochemical alterations. The results obtained demonstrated that organisms exposed to extreme salinity conditions (14, 21 and 42g/L) presented higher mortality rates, needed more days to completely regenerate the missing body region and also regenerated less chaetigers, when compared to organisms exposed to salinities 28 and 35g/L. The present study further demonstrated that D. neapolitana presented significantly lower glycogen and protein content at salinities 21 and 42g/L, which can be explained by higher energy expenditure in the physiological and biochemical processes. A marked impairment of the glutathione redox status was also recorded at salinities 21 and 42g/L. Increased antioxidant enzyme activities were observed at salinity 21g/L while LPO levels were increased at salinity 42g/L. Overall the present study demonstrated that the regenerative capacity of D. neapolitana can be used as a tool to assess environmental changes, namely salinity shifts. Moreover, stress related biomarkers revealed to be useful to evaluate the alterations in Polychaetes due to salinity changes. D. neapolitana revealed to be a good bioindicator to salinity alterations.

The effects of water acidification, temperature and salinity on the regenerative capacity of the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana

Changes in seawater pH, temperature and salinity are expected to occur in the near future, which can be a threat to aquatic systems, mainly for marine coastal areas, and their inhabiting species. Hence, the present study proposes to evaluate the effects of temperature shifts, pH decrease and salinity changes in the tissue's regenerative capacity of the polychaete Diopatra neapolitana. This study evidenced that D. neapolitana individuals exposed to lower pH exhibited a significantly lower capacity to regenerate their body, while with the increase of temperature individuals showed a higher capacity to regenerate their tissues. Furthermore, the present work demonstrated that individuals exposed to salinities 28 and 35 did not present significant differences between them, while salinities 21 and 42 negatively influenced the regenerative capacity of D. neapolitana. At the end of regeneration, comparing all conditions, high salinity (42) seemed to have a greater impact on the regenerative capacity of individuals than the other factors, since under this condition individuals took longer to completely regenerate. Overall, this study demonstrated that variations in abiotic factors can strongly affect D. neapolitana's performance.

Consequences of lower food intake on the digestive enzymes activities, the energy reserves and the reproductive outcome in Gammarus fossarum

Digestive enzyme activity is often used as a sensitive response to environmental pollution. However, only little is known about the negative effects of stress on digestive capacities and their consequences on energy reserves and reproduction, although these parameters are important for the maintenance of populations. To highlight if changes in biochemical responses (digestive enzymes and reserves) led to impairments at an individual level (fertility), Gammarus fossarum were submitted to a lower food intake throughout a complete female reproductive cycle (i.e. from ovogenesis to offspring production). For both males and females, amylase activity was inhibited by the diet stress, whereas trypsin activity was not influenced. These results underline similar sensitivity of males and females concerning their digestive capacity. Energy reserves decreased with food starvation in females, and remained stable in males. The number of embryos per female decreased with food starvation. Lower digestive activity in males and females therefore appears as an early response. These results underline the ecological relevance of digestive markers, as they make it possible to anticipate upcoming consequences on reproduction in females, a key biological variable for population dynamics.

Towards a better understanding of biomarker response in field survey: a case study in eight populations of zebra mussels

In order to provide reliable information about responsiveness of biomarkers during environmental monitoring, there is a need to improve the understanding of inter-population differences. The present study focused on eight populations of zebra mussels and aimed to describe how variable are biomarkers in different sampling locations. Biomarkers were investigated and summarised through the Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR index). Inter-site differences in IBR index were analysed through comparisons with morphological data, proteomic profiles and genetic background of the studied populations. We found that the IBR index was a good tool to inform about the status of sites. It revealed higher stress in more polluted sites than in cleaner ones. It was neither correlated to proteomic profiles nor to genetic background, suggesting a stronger influence of environment than genes. Meanwhile, morphological traits were related to both environment and genetic background influence. Together these results attest the benefit of using biological tools to better illustrate the status of a population and highlight the need of consider inter-population difference in their baselines.

Physiological and biochemical responses of the Polychaete Diopatra neapolitana to organic matter enrichment

Several studies have demonstrated that organic matter enrichment may be associated to aquaculture, leading to impoverished benthic communities and species succession with loss of biodiversity, but very few studies have investigated biochemical and physiological alterations that species affected by aquaculture activities undergo. Thus, in the present study, the effects of the organic enrichment originating from an oyster culture were studied in the Polychaete Diopatra neapolitana, a species already shown to be sensitive to inorganic contamination. For this, physiological responses and biochemical alterations were evaluated. The results obtained revealed that individuals from highly organically enriched areas presented lower capacity to regenerate their body but higher glycogen and protein levels. Furthermore, with increasing organic matter D. neapolitana increased the lipid peroxidation (LPO), the oxidized glutathione content (GSSG) and Glutathione S-transferase activity (GSTs) content, and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). This study evidenced that organic matter enrichment induced biochemical and physiological alterations in D. neapolitana. Thus, this species was shown to be a good sentinel species to monitor organic contamination.

Trace element contamination in the Guadalquivir River Estuary ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill

Sediments, clams Scrobicularia plana and worms Hediste diversicolor from the Guadalquivir estuary were collected ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill and analyzed for metals. Significant seasonal and spatial effects were detected for most elements, so data from different sampling periods and locations were treated separately. Overall, the most polluted sites were found upstream, although Zn and Cu tended to accumulate at the estuary mouth. A significant decline of Zn in sediments and clams was observed compared to levels reported following the spill, so the estuarine ecosystem has recovered. However, the concentrations of some elements in S. plana were still higher than those of heavily contaminated regions. In this mollusk, Pb and As levels were higher in 2008 than in previous years, suggesting a new source entering into the estuary. Metals in sediments presented low bioavailability for biota, so other sources must account for the concentrations observed in these species.

Integrated assessment of estuarine sediment quality based on a multi-biomarker approach in the bivalve Scrobicularia plana

The bivalve Scrobicularia plana has been proposed as a sentinel species for the assessment of estuarine sediment quality. The aim of this study was to test the responsiveness of a set of biomarkers in bivalves originating from a moderately contaminated site (Loire estuary, France) and a comparatively cleaner site (Bay of Bourgneuf, France) used as reference. Temporal fluctuations were examined in animals collected on eight occasions from March 2008 to October 2009 for the determination of biochemical (MTs, GST, AChE), physiological (energy reserves as glycogen and lipids, condition, hepato-somatic and gonado-somatic indices), and behavioural biomarkers (burrowing). Metals in clams were examined with the aim of understanding the variations in MT concentrations. The current findings indicate that among biochemical markers MTs must be used in a precautionary fashion, and comparison with a reference site remains indispensable together with an appreciation of any salinity effects. Clearer responses were obtained for GST activity which contributes to defence against organic compounds. However, any such defence was not sufficient to ensure total protection since a number of impairments were observed at the individual level (burrowing behaviour, condition index, gonado-somatic index). The integrated biomarker response (IBR) illustrated higher levels of stress in clams collected from the Loire estuary compared to those gathered from the reference site at most of the sampling periods. The interpretation of responses involved in the cascade of energetic events (from available food, digestive enzyme activities, energy reserves to condition and reproductive status) is complex but did reveal disturbances in the Loire estuary which is far from being the most contaminated estuary in France and over the world. However, no links can be established between effects at individual and supra-individual levels in organisms in the Loire estuary, even in the case of a small oil spill which occurred at the beginning of this study.