Stress biomarkers and alkali-labile phosphate level in mussels ( Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected in the urban area of Venice (Venice Lagoon, Italy)

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 136; no. 1; pp. 103 - 107
• Main Authors: Pampanin, Daniela M., Marangon, Ilenia, Volpato, Elisa, Campesan, Giancarlo, Nasci, Cristina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alkali-labile phosphates; Alkalies; animal stress; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarker; biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Bivalvia - chemistry; chemical analysis; Cities; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hemolymph - chemistry; Industrial Waste; Italy; Male; Metallothionein; Metallothionein - analysis; micronuclei; Micronucleus; mussels; Mytilus galloprovincialis; phosphates; Phosphates - analysis; sewage; Stress, Physiological; urban areas; Venice Lagoon; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; water pollution; Italy; Biomarker; Venice Lagoon; Alkali-labile phosphates; Mytilus galloprovincialis; Metallothionein; Micronucleus; Phosphates; Detoxification; Biological marker; Urban area; Metalloproteins; Stress; Bivalvia; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2004.12.010

In this study, a spatial and temporal survey at three sites located in the “canals” of the Venice historic centre (Italy) and at a reference site was undertaken to evaluate stress effects on mussels sampled in the Venice urban area, where raw sewage is discharged without treatment directly into the water. A battery of biomarkers (metallothionein, micronuclei, condition index and survival in air) was used to evaluate the stress condition of the animals. At the same time the alkali-labile phosphate assay (ALP) was performed in mussel' hemolymph with the aim to find an estrogenic effect biomarker in this mussel species. Biomarker results showed an impairment of the general health condition in the mussels coming from the urban area, in agreement with the chemical analysis. Significantly higher level of the ALP was found in male mussels sampled in April in the urban area, in comparison with the ones from the reference site (
P
<
0.001
). Finally, the PCA proved an easy and useful tool to summarize the obtained results, also able to classify the data to indicate a pollution gradient in the Venice urban area.
The overall biological and chemical data show a higher stress condition in the mussels (
Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the urban area of Venice.