Use of biomarkers in resident organisms as a tool for environmental monitoring in a cold coastal system, Tierra del Fuego Island

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 382 - 393
• Main Authors: Comoglio, L., Amin, O., Botté, S., Marcovecchio, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidants; Argentina; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - metabolism; Catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Coastal; cold; Cold Climate; Contamination; environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; enzyme activity; Enzymes; Gastropoda - drug effects; Gastropoda - metabolism; gonads; Heavy metals; Intertidal; islands; lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Marine; Multivariate Analysis; mussels; Mytilus edulis; Mytilus edulis - drug effects; Mytilus edulis - metabolism; Nacella magellanica; Oxidative Stress; principal component analysis; Seawater - chemistry; sediments; spring; Springs; Stations; superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Winter; Argentina; PSW, Argentina, Patagonia, Ushuaia; PSW, Argentina, Tierra del Fuego; Nacella magellanica; Biomarkers; Oxidative stress; Mytilus edulis; Intertidal; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2010.10.005

Antioxidant status of Nacella (P) magellanica and Mytilus edulis related with heavy metal in sediment and tissues were analysed in five stations close to Ushuaia city in winter and spring. The principal component analysis produced a two-dimensional pattern of the degree of similarity between sites. The Industrial–Urban Contamination Index (IUCI) showed that the Industrial Zone (IZ) and Oil Marine Station (OMS) represent areas with anthropic inputs. Heavy metals have differential association with biomarkers depending on the species. In limpets, digestive gland presented major activities of enzyme defence in winter and gonads have shown higher values of Catalase (CAT) during spring while lipid peroxidation (LPO) presented higher values in IZ. For mussels CAT and LPO increased in spring time. For superoxide dismutase (SOD) peaks have been detected in IZ and NW stations for winter. Differences in biomarker responses due to seasons did not influence the grouping of the sites into references and contaminated groups.