Sublethal responses in caged organisms exposed to sediments affected by oil spills

Abstract

This study was performed to determine sublethal responses of two invertebrate species by using field deployments in areas affected by oil spills, which are acute in the Galician Coast (NNW, Spain) and chronic in the Bay of Algeciras (SSW, Spain). The organisms employed were the crab Carcinus maenas and the clam Ruditapes philippinarum, and during 28 days the animals were exposed to contaminated sediments in cages under field conditions. Different biomarkers of exposure were determined after a 28-day period exposure: ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), phase I detoxification enzyme, glutathione- S-transferase (GST) phase II detoxification enzyme but also implicated in oxidative stress events, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR), both antioxidant enzymes. In addition, histopathological effects in target tissues of the deployed organisms were evaluated. Biomarker measurements were linked with the concentration of chemicals in the sediments in order to elucidate the type, source and bioavailability of contaminants that produce adverse effects in the bioindicator species. Results obtained in this study have shown how the application of the selected battery of biomarkers under field bioassays allows for the identification of alternative sources of stress that are not observable in laboratory experiments.