Validation of Arenicola marina in field toxicity bioassays using benthic cages: Biomarkers as tools for assessing sediment quality

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 62; no. 7; pp. 1538 - 1549
• Main Authors: Ramos-Gómez, Julia, Martins, Marta, Raimundo, Joana, Vale, Carlos, Laura Martín-Díaz, M., Ángel DelValls, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; antioxidant activity; Applied ecology; Arenicola marina; bioassays; Biochemical biomarkers; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; Biomarkers - metabolism; biotransformation; Caged organisms; cages; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 - metabolism; Dredge material; drugs; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; enzyme activity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Glutathione Reductase - metabolism; glutathione transferase; Glutathione Transferase - metabolism; glutathione-disulfide reductase; lead; lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Marine; Metals - analysis; Metals - metabolism; Metals - toxicity; Multivariate Analysis; Polychaeta - drug effects; Polychaeta - metabolism; Polychaetes; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - metabolism; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity; Sediment quality; sediments; Spain; Techniques; toxicity; toxicity testing; Toxicity Tests - methods; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; water pollution; ANE, Spain, Cantabria, Santander Bay; ANE, Spain, Andalucia, Cadiz, Cadiz Bay; Caged organisms; Polychaetes; Dredge material; Multivariate analysis; Sediment quality; Biochemical biomarkers; Benthic organism; Bioassay; Polychaeta; Biochemical marker; Toxicity; Biological marker; Biological indicator; Sediments; Annelida; Marine environment; Quality; Arenicola marina; Water pollution; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.03.045

► Field assays with caged lugworms are a valuable tool for sediment quality assessment. ► Lugworm biochemical biomarkers are useful detecting toxicity and chemical exposure. ► Cadiz Bay sediments were not toxic for Arenicola marina. ► Sediment PAHs in Santander Bay and LPGC Port induced toxic responses in A. marina. ► PPCPs were identified as possible cause of toxicity for lugworms.
Sediment toxicity assessments using caged organisms present advantages over using laboratory and native community studies. The use of caged Arenicola marina in sediment toxicity assessments was evaluated. Lugworms were exposed in situ to sediments from coastal and port areas in Spain for seven days, and the activities of the biotransformation enzymes ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, dibenzylfluorescein dealkylase and glutathione S-transferase, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation were then analyzed as biomarkers. Biomarker results and sediment physicochemical data were integrated. Cádiz Bay (SW Spain) sediments presented metal contamination that was not linked to a biochemical response. In LPGC Port (SW Spain), Pb contamination exhibited a moderate toxic potential, while PAHs, and presumably pharmaceuticals, provoked biochemical responses that efficiently prevented lipid peroxidation. In Santander Bay (N Spain), exposure to PAHs and, presumably, pharmaceuticals induced biomarker responses, but lipid peroxidation occurred nevertheless. These results indicated that caged A. marina were effective for the assessment of sediment quality and that the selected biomarkers were sufficiently sensitive to identify chemical exposure and toxicity.