Oxylipins at intermediate larval stages of damselfly Coenagrion hastulatum as biochemical biomarkers for anthropogenic pollution

Jana Späth,Malin L Nording,Jerker Fick,Daniel Cerveny,Tomas Brodin,Richard Lindberg

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-12503-x

Abstract

Aquatic pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities requires adequate environmental monitoring strategies in sentinel organisms. Thus, biochemical biomarkers have been used as early-warning tools of biological effects in aquatic organisms. However, before using these markers for environmental monitoring, knowledge about their developmental variation is vital. In this study, we assessed baseline levels and developmental variations of a group of potential biomarkers, oxylipins, during the lifespan of the Northern damselfly (Coenagrion hastulatum) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Effects of wastewater exposure on baseline levels were studied in a subset of damselflies to investigate the responsiveness due to anthropogenic pollution. Thirty-eight oxylipins deriving from four polyunsaturated fatty acids via two enzymatic pathways were detected in damselflies at three larval stages and in the adult form. Overall, oxylipin baseline levels showed developmental variation, which was lowest in the intermediate larval stages. Effects of exposure to wastewater effluent on oxylipin baseline levels were dependent on the life stage and were greatest in the early and intermediate larval stages. The study provides first insights into oxylipin profiles of damselflies at different stages of development and their developmental variation. Based on our results, we propose further strategies for incorporating oxylipins in damselfly larvae as biochemical markers for anthropogenic pollution.Graphical abstract

Highlights

Responsible Editor: Ludek BlahaGlobally, levels of environmental pollutants have increased in the aquatic environment due to anthropogenic activities (Halling-Sørensen et al 1998; Luo et al 2014; Häder et al 2020)
Rather than measuring the pollutant load of aquatic ecosystems, biomarkers in a sentinel organism are increasingly being used as early warning tools in environmental monitoring (Depledge and Fossi 1994)
Biochemical biomarkers are defined as substances that can be measured in body fluids, Environ Sci Pollut Res (2021) 28:27629–27638 tissues or whole organisms and have the potential to be altered by exposure to pollutants and other environmental stressors (Depledge and Fossi 1994; van der Oost et al 2003; Monserrat et al 2007; Storhaug et al 2019; Previšić et al 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Levels of environmental pollutants have increased in the aquatic environment due to anthropogenic activities (Halling-Sørensen et al 1998; Luo et al 2014; Häder et al 2020). These pollutants can have adverse effects on individual aquatic organisms or even entire ecosystems (Daughton and Ternes 1999; Fleeger et al 2003; Kidd et al 2007). Rather than measuring the pollutant load of aquatic ecosystems, biomarkers in a sentinel organism are increasingly being used as early warning tools in environmental monitoring (Depledge and Fossi 1994). Biochemical biomarkers are defined as substances that can be measured in body fluids, Environ Sci Pollut Res (2021) 28:27629–27638 tissues or whole organisms and have the potential to be altered by exposure to pollutants and other environmental stressors (Depledge and Fossi 1994; van der Oost et al 2003; Monserrat et al 2007; Storhaug et al 2019; Previšić et al 2020)

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Methods

Results