Abstract
Estuaries are highly productive ecosystems that have been increasingly affected by anthropogenic activities. In this study, the presence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and their relation to oxidative stress were assessed in two bivalve species (mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis and clams Ruditapes decussatus ) from the Ria Formosa Lagoon (south Portugal). We applied the alkali-labile phosphate (ALP) assay to determine vitellogenin-like protein levels, and the lipid peroxidation (LPO) method to assess oxidative damage. Mussels and clams exhibited the same pattern of ALP concentrations, with no differences between genders and higher levels in winter. R. decussatus showed higher ALP values than M. galloprovincialis , possibly associated with a stronger responsiveness of clams to EDCs or due to the influence of the reproductive cycle. Mussels exhibited a more evident seasonal effect for LPO, indicating that these organisms are more influenced by seasonal fluctuations in the water column compared to the sediment-associated clams. Both species appear to be under the influence of EDC exposure (which could induce Vg-like protein synthesis) and oxidative stressors (leading to lipid peroxidation) in the Ria Formosa Lagoon, particularly in winter, reflecting the presence of different contaminants in Ria Formosa and environmental changes, as well as complex interactions between them.
Highlights
Estuaries are usually highly productive ecosystems that over the years have become increasingly affected by anthropogenic activities, mainly due to urban development, industrialization and tourism (Cravo et al 2009)
This study aimed to evaluate the presence of endocrine disruption compounds and their relation to oxidative stress in the Ria Formosa Lagoon by assessing the interspecific variability response of two important bivalve species
Fig. 2. – Condition Index of M. galloprovincialis and R. decussatus collected in the sampling locations in both summer and winter
Summary
Estuaries are usually highly productive ecosystems that over the years have become increasingly affected by anthropogenic activities, mainly due to urban development, industrialization and tourism (Cravo et al 2009). Natural estrogens and xenoestrogens may induce vitellogenesis, an effect striking in males or juveniles that has been extensively used as a biomarker of endocrine disruption in fish (Porte et al 2006) and more recently in bivalves (Blaise et al 1999, Gagné et al 2001a, Matozzo et al 2008) In the latter case, increased levels of Vg-like proteins have been reported in gonads and haemolymph of both male and female mussels (Gagné et al 2001a,b, Quinn et al 2004) and clams (Blaise et al 1999, Gagné et al 2002, Matozzo and Marin 2005) exposed in laboratory and field studies to hormones like estradiol, compounds such as nonylphenol, municipal effluents and urban and agricultural runoff waters. These proteins can be useful biomarkers in assessing the potential exposure and estrogenic effects in bivalves
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