RESUMO
Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and humans. While numerous studies have monitored APIs in rivers, these employ different analytical methods, measure different APIs, and have ignored many of the countries of the world. This makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem from a global perspective. Furthermore, comparison of the existing data, generated for different studies/regions/continents, is challenging due to the vast differences between the analytical methodologies employed. Here, we present a global-scale study of API pollution in 258 of the world's rivers, representing the environmental influence of 471.4 million people across 137 geographic regions. Samples were obtained from 1,052 locations in 104 countries (representing all continents and 36 countries not previously studied for API contamination) and analyzed for 61 APIs. Highest cumulative API concentrations were observed in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and South America. The most contaminated sites were in low- to middle-income countries and were associated with areas with poor wastewater and waste management infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The most frequently detected APIs were carbamazepine, metformin, and caffeine (a compound also arising from lifestyle use), which were detected at over half of the sites monitored. Concentrations of at least one API at 25.7% of the sampling sites were greater than concentrations considered safe for aquatic organisms, or which are of concern in terms of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health, as well as to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Assuntos
Rios/química , Poluição Química da Água/análise , Poluição Química da Água/prevenção & controle , Ecossistema , Exposição Ambiental , Monitoramento Ambiental , Humanos , Preparações Farmacêuticas , Águas Residuárias/análise , Águas Residuárias/química , Água/análise , Água/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análiseRESUMO
The effects of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on sex ratio, gonopodium morphology, and gonadal histology of C. decemmaculatus were assessed by a full-lifecycle exposure experiment. Newborn fish were waterborne exposed to 30, 100, and 300 ng EE2/L for 90 d, using 50 fish per treatment. Additionally, in December of 2016, a field survey was conducted on a C. decemmaculatus population inhabiting the Girado Creek downstream of the Chascomus city wastewater effluent discharge. After 90 d of exposure, EE2 was able to histologically skew the sex ratio toward females and inhibit the full gonopodium development since the lowest tested concentration (LOEC = 30 ng/L). At higher concentrations, EE2 was toxic, inducing mortality in a concentration-dependent fashion (90 d-LC50 = 109.9 ng/L) and altering the gonadal histoarchitecture, causing neither testes nor ovaries discernible histologically (LOEC = 100 ng/L). In addition, a novel response, perianal hyperpigmentation, was discovered been induced by the EE2 exposure in a concentration-dependent fashion (90 d-EC50 = 39.3 ng/L). A higher proportion of females and perianal hyperpigmentation were observed in wild fish collected from the Girado Creek. The major reached conclusions are: i) EE2 induce different effects on the sexual traits of C. decemmaculatus when exposed from early-life or adult stages. ii) The most sensitive effects observed in the laboratory occur in a creek receiving wastewater effluent. iii) The perianal hyperpigmentation comes-up as a promising biomarker of exposure to estrogenic compounds.
Assuntos
Ciprinodontiformes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Disruptores Endócrinos/toxicidade , Etinilestradiol/toxicidade , Gônadas/efeitos dos fármacos , Hiperpigmentação/induzido quimicamente , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Animais , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Feminino , Gônadas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Gônadas/patologia , Humanos , Estágios do Ciclo de Vida/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Ovário/efeitos dos fármacos , Ovário/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Ovário/patologia , Fenótipo , Razão de Masculinidade , Testículo/efeitos dos fármacos , Testículo/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Testículo/patologiaRESUMO
The present study reported the effect of natural and anthropic environmental variables on the fish assemblages in the pampean streams, in the coastal strip along the Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Five streams were sampled at 12 sites surrounded by land devoted to different uses. A correspondence analysis sorted the streams into two groups: a less impacted group formed by sites surrounded by livestock- raising pastures and a more impacted one passing through urban sites and including a stream adjacent to a modest rural urbanization with a dairy in the stream's basin. The nutrient concentrations were significantly higher in the more impacted group; with species richness, diversity, abundance, and biomass being significantly lower. A canonical-correspondence analysis linked the more impacted sites to high concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus and impoverished fish assemblages, composed of species tolerant to environmental pollution. On the other hand, sites with higher oxygen concentrations and pH were related to richer assemblages pointing to good environmental conditions at the sites surrounded by livestock-raising pastures. The downstream sites on the less impacted streams contained fish assemblages in which the juvenile stages of species corresponding to the Río de la Plata were dominant.
Assuntos
Biodiversidade , Monitoramento Ambiental , Peixes/classificação , Animais , Argentina , Armazenamento de Alimentos , RiosRESUMO
Some heavy metals related to human activities were measured in the water of Chascomús lake. The maximum concentrations were: 0.23⯵g/L for Cd, 4.28⯵g/L for Cr, 22.09⯵g/L for Cu, 2.49⯵g/L for Ni, 3.24⯵g/L for Pb and 210.76⯵g/L for Zn. The values of Cd, Cr, Cr, Pb and Zn were above the Argentine National Guidelines for the Protection of the Aquatic life. The analysis of gonadal condition of pejerrey fish (Odontesthes bonariensis) from this lake did not revealed any reproductive damages. However, exposures with environmental concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn under laboratory conditions of pejerrey males (14â¯days), caused a significant increase of the expression of the three variants of gnrh in the brain (within Cd exposure) and a decrease in cyp19a1b mRNA (within Cu exposure). Furthermore, at pituitary level, a decrease in fshb transcript levels was observed in the fish exposed to Cd and Cr and a decrease in the expression of both gonadotropin receptors at gonadal level in Zn exposure. Moreover, the gonads of the fish exposed to all the tested metals suffered structural damages showing shortness of the spermatic lobules, fibrosis, testis ova and the presence of piknotic cells. All these findings alert that heavy metals pollution affects the expression of key reproductive genes and gonadal structure of fish species that represent the predominant group of organisms and are considered sentinel species in the aquatic ecosystems.
Assuntos
Sistema Endócrino/metabolismo , Monitoramento Ambiental , Peixes/metabolismo , Lagos/química , Metais Pesados/toxicidade , Reprodução , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Animais , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Endócrino/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteínas de Peixes/genética , Proteínas de Peixes/metabolismo , Peixes/sangue , Masculino , Metais Pesados/análise , Antígeno Nuclear de Célula em Proliferação/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Testículo/efeitos dos fármacos , Testículo/metabolismo , Testículo/patologia , Testosterona/sangue , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análiseRESUMO
Need for ecotoxicological information on local species has been recently highlighted as a priority issue in Latin America. In addition, little information has been found on concentration distances between lethal and sublethal effects, and the effect of mixtures at these two levels of analysis. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphate insecticide broadly used in soybean crops which has dramatically expanded in Latin America and other regions of the world. The aim of the present study was to evaluate lethal and sublethal effects of CPF, singly or in mixtures, on the inland "Pejerrey" (Odontesthes bonariensis) under laboratory conditions. Bioassays were performed using 15-30 d post hatch Pejerrey larvae. Six toxicity tests were run for estimating the average inter-assay dose-response curve of CPF and other six for assessing the effects of mixtures of CPF with endosulfan (EN) or lambda-cyhalothrin (LC), at three toxic units (TU) proportions (25:75, 50:50, 75:25). In addition, four assays were performed to describe the average inter-assay dose-response inhibition curve of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) for CPF alone and two for assessing the mixtures. The estimated 96 h-LC50 for CPF was 2.26 ± 1.11 µg/L and the incipiency value was 0.048 ± 0.012 µg/L, placing this Neotropical species among the 13% of worldwide fish more sensitive to CPF. In addition, the 96 h-LC50 for EN and LC were 0.30 ± 0.012 µg/L and 0.043 ± 0.031 µg/L, respectively. Therefore, relative toxicity of the three soybean insecticides for O. bonariensis was LC > EN > CPF. Effects of mixtures with EN and LC were variable, but in general fitted to both, independent action (IA) and concentration addition (CA) models. Slight antagonism was found when CPF TU proportions were above 50%. Therefore, from the regulatory point of view, the use of both mixture models, CA or IA, would be precautionary. Differential sensitivity to CPF was found for AchE inhibition at the head (96 h-IC50 = 0.065 ± 0.058 µg/L) and the body (96 h-IC50 = 0.48 ± 0.17 µg/L). In addition, whereas no significant effects induced by mixtures was observed in body AchE activity, antagonism was induced in head AchE inhibition in presence of both, EN and LC in the mixture. The lethal to sublethal ratio was close to 25.2 and 3.4 when comparing the CPF-LC50 and IC50s for head and body AchE activity, respectively. However, considerable overlapping was observed between concentration-response curves, indicating that the use of AchE as biomarker for environmental monitoring would be limited.
Assuntos
Clorpirifos/toxicidade , Endossulfano/toxicidade , Peixes/fisiologia , Inseticidas/toxicidade , Testes de Toxicidade , Animais , Inibidores da Colinesterase/toxicidade , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
Concentrations of estrone (E1), 17ß-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) were investigated for the first time in sewage effluents and receiving waters of the "Río de la Plata" estuary and neighboring areas by means of LC-MS/MS. E2 and EE2 were ubiquitous in the evaluated sewage effluent samples showing concentrations ranging between 122-631 and 65-187 ng/L, respectively. In surface waters, these estrogens were only detected in the "Girado" stream (Chascomús) at 369 and 43 ng/L, respectively. No significant relationship was found among the size of the served population and the concentration of the estrogens in the sewage effluent. The detection of these estrogens in receiving waters was dependent on the dilution capacity of the system. The studied estrogens were undetectable at the La Plata City water supply station. Conversely, concentrations found at the "Girado" stream indicate a potential ecotoxicological risk of these estrogens to the local aquatic biota.
Assuntos
Estradiol/análise , Estrona/análise , Etinilestradiol/análise , Esgotos/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Argentina , Cromatografia Líquida , Estradiol/química , Estrona/química , Estuários , Etinilestradiol/química , Rios/química , Espectrometria de Massas em Tandem , Poluentes Químicos da Água/química , Abastecimento de ÁguaRESUMO
The 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was first time characterized in the neotropical fish Cnesterodon decemmaculatus as a biomarker for assessing environmental health in aquatic ecosystems of the Rio de la Plata Basin impacted by organic pollutants agonist of the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Both laboratory and field studies were conducted. Laboratory experiments were run using ß-naphthoflavone (BNF) as an AhR agonist model. A clear concentration-response relationship was found between 1 and 100 µg/L, with a NOEC and LOEC of 1 and 10 µg/L. A fast time-dependent response was observed with a significant induction after 24 h and a plateau from 24 to 48 h up to 264 h of exposure. Differences in basal activity were found between juveniles, females, and males, but induction levels were similar. Both basal activities and induction levels were distinct in the whole body, liver, gill, muscle, brain, and embryos. Fold-change inductions in the respective tissues were: 20, 114, 3, 5, 1, and 14. Maternal transfer and early cyp1a activation were unveiled by embryonic induction. Clear differences in EROD activity were found among juveniles collected in hydrocarbon-polluted streams, beside the La Plata Petrochemical hub, and a reference stream. Similar EROD activities were observed in laboratory and feral fish, usually with values below or above 1,000 pmol/min x mg protein for unexposed or exposed organisms. The study contributes with original information about EROD activity in C. decemmaculatus that encourages the use of both the response as a robust biomarker of exposure and the species as a good sentinel organism to be included in surveillant programs for assessing aquatic pollution by AhR agonist chemicals within the Rio de la Plata Basin within the One Health paradigm.
Assuntos
Biomarcadores , Citocromo P-450 CYP1A1 , Monitoramento Ambiental , Receptores de Hidrocarboneto Arílico , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Animais , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Citocromo P-450 CYP1A1/metabolismo , Receptores de Hidrocarboneto Arílico/metabolismo , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , BrasilRESUMO
Prochilodus lineatus is a highly migratory fish species that sustains the most important commercial fishery of Paraná-Paraguay basin. Migratory patterns are poorly known and only few population genetic studies are available for this species in the Upper Paraná. To assess genetic population structure, we genotyped a sample of 93 individuals from the Lower Uruguay River close to Gualeguaychú city (Entre Ríos, Argentina) at three different times, July 2008 (Winter), September 2008 (Spring) and May 2009 (Fall). All individuals were genotyped for 12 microsatellite loci previously found to be informative to assess populations of P. lineatus. Our results show seasonal variation of the genetic sub-structuring at this locality that may be related to the presence of different migratory stocks throughout the year. The Fall sample includes an additional genetic cluster of individuals not detected in Winter and Spring, suggesting that this species should be considered a mixed stock fishery.
Assuntos
Caraciformes/genética , Variação Genética , Estações do Ano , Migração Animal , Animais , Genótipo , Repetições de Microssatélites , População/genéticaRESUMO
The study contributes with a first survey of pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewaters discharging into fresh and estuarine waters from areas with varying degrees of urbanization of Argentina. Analyses were done on the soluble fraction by HPLC-MS after SPE extraction. In all of the samples were detected caffeine and ibuprofen within the range of 0.9-44.2 and 0.4-13.0 µg/L, and lower levels of carbamazepine, atenolol and diclofenac between 0.2-2.3, 0.2-1.7 and <0.03-1.2 µg/L, respectively. Profiles of compounds were similar in all studied locations.
Assuntos
Águas Residuárias/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Argentina , Atenolol/análise , Atenolol/química , Cafeína/análise , Cafeína/química , Carbamazepina/análise , Carbamazepina/química , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Cidades , Diclofenaco/análise , Diclofenaco/química , Monitoramento Ambiental , Humanos , Ibuprofeno/análise , Ibuprofeno/química , Espectrometria de Massas , Preparações Farmacêuticas/análise , Preparações Farmacêuticas/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/químicaRESUMO
Sewage effluents are the main source of entry of Human Pharmaceutical Active Ingredients (HPAIs) to surface water bodies. Carbamazepine (CBZ), psychiatric drug, enalapril (ENA) antihypertensive, and sildenafil (SIL), to treat erectile dysfunction, have been frequently detected in receiving wastewater and in wild fish species from Argentina. This study aimed to assess the bioconcentration of selected HPAIs in native fish species of the Del Plata Basin. In a first trial, the bioconcentration factors of CBZ, ENA, and SIL were obtained by exposing Cnesterodon decemmaculatus, respectively, to 135, 309, and 70 µg/L during 96 h. Then the bioconcentration kinetic of SIL was comparatively assessed in C. decemmaculatus and Piaractus mesopotamicus exposed, respectively, to 44.1 and 16.2 µg/L during a one-week, followed by a four-day depuration phase. HPAIs concentrations in water and tissue were measured by HPLC-MS after 0.22 µm filtration and direct injection or solid-liquid extraction, respectively. Bioconcentration factors obtained empirically (BCFe) for C. decemmaculatus were CBZ = 1.5, SIL = 1.4, and ENA = 0.007. Parameters estimated by the SIL bioconcentration kinetic model for C. decemmaculatus were: uptake rate constant (k1) = 5.5 L/kg d, elimination rate constant during uptake phase (k2u) = 0.00175 d-1, maximum predicted tissue concentration (Ct(max)) = 138588 µg/kg, estimated bioconcentration factor (BCFm) = 3143, lag time between the exposure and the first detection in tissue (tlag) = 0 d, elimination rate constant in the depuration phase (k2d) = 0.49 d-1 and half-life in the tissue (t1/2) = 1.4 d. The model parameters for P. mesopotamicus were k1: 7.3 L/kg d, k2u: 0.0836 d-1, Ct(max): 1423 µg/kg, BCFm: 88, tlag: 3.8 d in the uptake phase and k2d: 0.31 d-1 and t1/2: 2.3 d in the depuration phase. The reached conclusions were: 1) the bioconcentration capacity of CBZ and SIL are similar but around 200 times higher than ENA, 2) the time to reach the bioconcentration equilibrium for SIL is longer than 1 week, then estimated BCFm are between 1 and 3 orders of magnitude higher than BCFe obtained after 96 h exposure, but actual values need to be verified, 3) substantial differences (≈30 fold) were observed in the estimated BCF of SIL among species, indicating the need for further studies toward understanding such diversity to improve HPAIs ecological risk assessment worldwide.
RESUMO
The presence of cyanobacterial toxins in freshwater constitutes an increasing public health concern, especially affecting developing countries where the high cost of available methods makes monitoring programs difficult. The phosphatase inhibition assay (PPIA) is a sensitive method with low instrument requirements that allows the quantification of the most frequent cyanotoxins, microcystins (MCs). In this work, we implemented a PPIA, starting from Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) expression up to the validation with samples of algal blooms from Argentina. To do this, we optimized the expression and lyophilization of PP1, and the assay conditions. Also, we included robustness and possible interference analysis. We evaluated the most widely used cyanobacterial lysis methods and determined that heating for 15 min at 95 °C is simple and adequate for this assay. Then, we performed MC spikes recovery assays on water samples from three dams from Argentina, resulting in a recovery ranging from 77 to 115%. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.4 µg/L and the linear range is 0.4 µg/L - 5 µg/L. Finally, we evaluated 65 environmental samples where MCs was measured by ELISA test containing from 0 µg/L to 625 µg/L. The PPIA showed excellent correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.967), no false negative and no false positives above the 1 µg/L WHO guideline (0.11 false positive rate). In conclusion, we optimized and validated a PPIA to be an effective and accessible alternative to available commercial tests.
Assuntos
Cianobactérias , Microcistinas , Microcistinas/análise , Água Doce/análise , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Fosfoproteínas FosfatasesRESUMO
Atrazine (ATZ) is the third most widely used herbicide in Argentina (10 000 t year-1 ) and is approved for sugar cane, flax, corn, sorghum, and tea. An assessment of the ATZ environmental impacts was conducted at the request of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina. A review of 541 national and international technical and scientific reports and a survey among agricultural technicians, applicators, and producers was done. The survey revealed that 94% of ATZ applications are terrestrial and use diversion exists, associated mainly with soybean cultivation. Atrazine was reported at high frequencies (50%-100%) in surface and groundwater, sediments, and soils, sometimes exceeding permitted limits. Several sublethal effects induced by ATZ on invertebrate and vertebrate species were found, sometimes at concentrations lower than those in water quality guidelines (<3 µg L-1 ) or the environmental concentrations found in Argentina. Available epidemiological or human health studies of local populations are extremely scarce. This assessment also demonstrated that herbicides are ubiquitous in the environment. The investigation highlights the need for further studies assessing the adverse effects of ATZ on local species, ecosystems, and human health. Therefore, the precautionary principle is recommended to promote better application standards and product traceability to reduce volumes entering the environment and to avoid use deviation. In addition, this work concluded that there is a need for reviewing the toxicological classification, establishing buffer zones for ATZ application, introducing specific management guidelines, and expanding local studies of toxicity, ecotoxicity, and human epidemiology for environmental and health risk assessments. This study could also serve as a preliminary risk evaluation for establishing a final regulatory action and for considering ATZ inclusion in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. Finally, the requirements to consider its inclusion in Annex A (Elimination) or B (Restriction) of the Stockholm Convention were evaluated and discussed, and information on the potential of long-range transport was the only criterion with no information to consider. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:684-697. © 2022 SETAC.
Assuntos
Atrazina , Herbicidas , Humanos , Atrazina/toxicidade , Ecossistema , Argentina , Herbicidas/toxicidade , SoloRESUMO
Atrazine (ATZ) is a frequent contaminant in freshwater ecosystems within agricultural regions. The capacity of this herbicide to interfere with the vertebrate endocrine system is broadly recognized, but the mechanisms and responses usually differ among species. In this study, ATZ effects on hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis key genes expression and early gonadal development were evaluated in Odontesthes bonariensis larvae waterborne exposed during the gonadal differentiation period. Fish were treated to 0, 0.7, 7.0, and 70 µg ATZ/L at 25 °C from the 2nd to 6th week after hatching (wah), and a group was kept in clean water until the 12th wah. Parallelly, a group was submitted to 0.05 µg/L of ethinylestradiol (EE2) as a positive estrogenic control. From each treatment, eight larvae were sampled at 6 wah for gene expression analysis and twelve larvae at 12 wah for phenotypic sex histological determination. The expression of gnrh1, lhb, fshb, and cyp19a1b was assessed in the head, and the ones of amha, 11ßhsd2, and cyp19a1a in the trunk. Fish growth was significantly higher in fish exposed to 7 and 70 µg ATZ/L in the 6 wah, but the effect vanished at the 12 wah. The expression of lhb was upregulated in both sex larvae exposed from 7 µg ATZ/L. However, a dimorphic effect was induced on cyp19a1a expression at 70 µg ATZ/L, up or downregulating mRNA transcription in males and females, respectively. Delayed ovarian development and increased number of testicular germ cells were histologically observed from 7 to 70 µg ATZ/L, respectively, and a sex inversion (genotypic male to phenotypic female) was found in one larva at 70 µg ATZ/L. The lhb expression was also upregulated by EE2, but the cyp19a1a expression was not affected, and a complete male-to-female reversal was induced. Further, EE2 upregulated gnrh1 in females and cyp19a1b in both sexes, but it did not alter any assessed gene in the trunk. In conclusion, ATZ disrupted HPG axis physiology and normal gonadal development in O. bonariensis larvae at environmentally relevant concentrations. The responses to ATZ only partially overlapped and were less active when compared to the model estrogenic compound EE2.
Assuntos
Atrazina , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Animais , Masculino , Feminino , Atrazina/toxicidade , Ecossistema , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Peixes/fisiologia , Desenvolvimento Sexual , Larva , Transcrição Gênica , América do SulRESUMO
The metabolic profile of Odontesthes bonariensis and its global response to the insecticide cypermethrin were studied using HPLC-MS-based metabolomics. Three experiments using either juveniles or adults of O. bonariensis were performed by exposing fish (6, 24, or 96 h) to sublethal concentrations of cypermethrin (5 or 10 µg/L). Metabolic profiling was performed on either whole bile or aqueous and organic extracts. Chromatography was performed using a C18 column and an ACN/H2O mobile phase. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interfaces were used in positive and negative modes. Full scan MS data were processed using the XCMS software, log-transformed, and analyzed using either regression analysis or principal component analysis (PCA). The highest amount of information (1163 peaks) was yielded by analyzing the whole bile with the ESIâ» interface. Complementary information, useful for metabolite confirmation, was obtained from the aqueous and organic extracts and using the ESI⺠and APCI interfaces. The bile metabolic profile of O. bonariensis was characterized by some abundant metabolite ions corresponding with taurine conjugated bile acids, which were useful as reference peaks. A characteristic global metabolic response to cypermethrin was identified in the bile of O. bonariensis. A ten-fold or higher variation in abundance was observed in the whole bile of exposed fish for a small group of peaks (32), and these peaks corresponded to an even smaller number of metabolites (nineteen). Both regression analysis and PCA were useful in identifying those peaks, better explaining differences between exposed and control groups, but slight differences were suggested by each of those methods. Using unsupervised PCA scores, we were able to distinguish organisms from each treatment on the basis of the metabolic changes induced by the cypermethrin, this variability being explained mainly by only one principal component (PC3, 17.7 percent total variance). Two cypermethrin metabolites were identified as major contributors within the augmented peaks: the known glucuronide of 4'-hydroxy-cypermethrin and the sulfate of 4'-hydroxycypermethrin, not previously reported in fish bile. The HPLC-MS-based metabolomic approach demonstrated to be a powerful ecotoxicological tool for identifying biological responses to pollutants, discovering new metabolic pathways and proposing specific biomarkers using non model organisms.
Assuntos
Bile/metabolismo , Inseticidas/toxicidade , Metaboloma/fisiologia , Piretrinas/toxicidade , Smegmamorpha/metabolismo , Animais , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Metabolômica , Análise de Componente Principal , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
The safety of creating fish farms in agricultural settings was evaluated by growing Piaractus mesopotamicus in a pond, while crops where cultivated in a nearby field under a pesticide application regime typical of the Pampa region. Atrazine, glyphosate and its metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were detected in the water of the pond at concentrations ranging between 92 and 118 µg/L for atrazine, 12 and 221 µg/L for glyphosate and 21 and 117 µg/L for AMPA. Atrazine and malathion were detected in fish muscles at concentrations ranging between 70 and 105 µg/kg for atrazine and 8.6 and 23.7 µg/kg for malathion. Compared to fish raised in a pisciculture, fish from the agricultural pond presented reduced values of pack cell volume, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, together with significantly greater cholinesterase activity in both plasma and liver and reduced glutathione-S-transferase activity in the liver. A comet assay also demonstrated that P. mesopotamicus from the agricultural pond presented a significantly greater level of DNA damage in both erythrocytes and gill cells. Overall, the present study demonstrates that pisciculture ponds established in an agricultural setting may receive pesticides applied to nearby cultures and that these pesticides may be taken up by the fish and affect their physiology and health. The accumulation of pesticides residues in fish flesh may also present a risk to human consumers and should be closely controlled.
Assuntos
Aquicultura , Agricultura , Animais , Atrazina , Colinesterases , Monitoramento Ambiental , Fazendas , Peixes , Glicina/análogos & derivados , Humanos , Resíduos de Praguicidas/análise , Praguicidas/análise , Lagoas/química , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , GlifosatoRESUMO
Natural and synthetic steroid hormones, excreted by humans and farmed animals, have been considered as important sources of environmental endocrine disruptors. A suite of estrogens, androgens and progestogens was measured in the wastewater treatment plant outfall (WWTPO) of Chascomús city (Buenos Aires province, Argentina), and receiving waters located downstream and upstream from the WWTPO, using solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The following natural hormones were measured: 17ß-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), progesterone (P), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) and the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). Also, in order to complement the analytical method, the estrogenic activity in these surface water samples was evaluated using the in vitro transactivation bioassay that measures the estrogen receptor (ER) activity using mammalian cells. All-natural steroid hormones measured, except 17OHP, were detected in all analyzed water samples. E3, E1, EE2 and DHT were the most abundant and frequently detected. Downstream of the WWTPO, the concentration levels of all compounds decreased reaching low levels at 4500â¯m from the WWTPO. Upstream, 1500â¯m from the WWTPO, six out of eight steroid hormones analyzed were detected: DHT, T, P, 17OHP, E3 and E2. Moreover, water samples from the WWTPO and 200â¯m downstream from it showed estrogenic activity exceeding that of the EC50 of the E2 standard curve. In sum, this work demonstrates the presence of sex steroid hormones and estrogenic activity, as measured by an in vitro assay, in superficial waters of the Pampas region. It also suggests the possibility of an unidentified source upstream of the wastewater outfall.
Assuntos
Águas Residuárias , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Animais , Argentina , Estrogênios , Estrona/análise , Humanos , LagosRESUMO
The time- and concentration-dependent accumulation patterns of three environmentally relevant metals, with different chemical and biological properties, were comparatively evaluated in tissue of South American fish, pejerrey (Odontesthes bonariensis). Six-month-old juvenile pejerrey were exposed to 1, 5, or 10 microgl(-1) of Cd(2+); 10, 50, or 100 microgl(-1) of Cu(2+); or 100, 500, or 1000 microgl(-1) of Cr(6+) during 16 days. Tested concentrations ranged from those that caused no significant accumulation to those that induced growth reduction or even mortality (Cd and Cu). Concentration-dependent accumulation of Cd and Cr presented similar patterns, characterized by a linear and exponential relationship in the gill and liver, respectively, with a greater slope at longer exposure times. Differently, essential Cu showed a linear relationship in both tissues, and no slope increase was observed in the gill. The gill time-dependent accumulation pattern of Cd exhibited relatively long times to half-saturation (t(1/2(1))=36.6 days) and high-saturation values (S((1))=205.4 nmolg(-1)). The opposite pattern was observed for Cu (t(1/2(100))=0.6 days; S((100))=24.4 nmolg(-1)), while Cr showed an intermediate position (t(1/2(1000))=2.8 days; S((1000))=50.2 nmolg(-1)). In the liver, times to half saturation for the three metals were as follows: Cd=4.7 days; Cu=2.5 days; Cr=1.6 days. Conversely, different saturation concentrations were observed among metals, Cu (S((100))=102) presenting the highest values, Cd (S((10))=4.4) the lowest, and Cr presenting an intermediate position (S((1000))=24.7). Bioconcentration of non-essential Cd was high in the gill (2000-fold) and low in the liver (50-fold). On the other hand, the essential element Cu was poorly retained by the gill (15-fold) and accumulated mainly in the liver (50-fold). Differently, Cr was quickly and evenly accumulated by both organs, but barely bioconcentrating (2.5- and 1.5-fold levels as compared to the original in the gill and liver, respectively). The ratio of gill/liver concentration in exposed fish clearly differed from that of non-exposed fish, and was characteristic for each metal (Cd>1; Cu<1; Cr<9), representing a potential tool to assess exposure. The accumulation patterns of studied metals in the tissue of pejerrey corresponded more with those reported for sensitive than for tolerant fish species. Distinctive tissue accumulation patterns in relation to growth reduction and non-acute lethality suggests different target tissues for sub-chronic effects, and would partially explain differences in the relative toxicity of these metals.
Assuntos
Metais Pesados/farmacocinética , Metais Pesados/toxicidade , Smegmamorpha/metabolismo , Poluentes Químicos da Água/farmacocinética , Animais , Constituição Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Peso Corporal/efeitos dos fármacos , Brânquias/química , Fígado/química , Metais Pesados/análise , Espectrofotometria Atômica/veterinária , Análise de Sobrevida , Fatores de Tempo , Distribuição Tecidual , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidadeRESUMO
The Global Horizon Scanning Project (GHSP) is an innovative initiative that aims to identify important global environmental quality research needs. Here we report 20 key research questions from Latin America (LA). Members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) LA and other scientists from LA were asked to submit research questions that would represent priority needs to address in the region. One hundred questions were received, then partitioned among categories, examined, and some rearranged during a workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Twenty priority research questions were subsequently identified. These research questions included developing, improving, and harmonizing across LA countries methods for 1) identifying contaminants and degradation products in complex matrices (including biota); 2) advancing prediction of contaminant risks and effects in ecosystems, addressing lab-to-field extrapolation challenges, and understanding complexities of multiple stressors (including chemicals and climate change); and 3) improving management and regulatory tools toward achieving sustainable development. Whereas environmental contaminants frequently identified in these key questions were pesticides, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors or modulators, plastics, and nanomaterials, commonly identified environmental challenges were related to agriculture, urban effluents, solid wastes, pulp and paper mills, and natural extraction activities. Several interesting research topics included assessing and preventing pollution impacts on conservation protected areas, integrating environment and health assessments, and developing strategies for identification, substitution, and design of less hazardous chemicals (e.g., green chemistry). Finally, a recurrent research need included developing an understanding of differential sensitivity of regional species and ecosystems to environmental contaminants and other stressors. Addressing these critical questions will support development of long-term strategic research efforts to advance more sustainable environmental quality and protect public health and the environment in LA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:344-357. © 2018 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
Assuntos
Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais/química , Poluição Ambiental/prevenção & controle , Pesquisa/normas , Mudança Climática , Ecossistema , Ecotoxicologia , Poluentes Ambientais/toxicidade , Substâncias Perigosas , Humanos , América Latina , Saúde Pública , Projetos de Pesquisa , Medição de RiscoRESUMO
The impact of biotech-soybean technology on freshwater ecosystems is being evaluated in the Rolling Pampas region, Argentina. The effect of cypermethrin, the main soybean insecticide, on low-order temperate-stream fish populations was investigated for two consecutive crop cycles under field-use conditions in biotech-soybean production. Cypermethrin was unable to induce mortality or behavioral effects on any of the fish species resident in a first-order stream across a crop field (pulsed acute exposure scenario) sprayed according to conventional practices. No spatially or temporally dependent effects were observed on population parameters (size-class structure, abundance, survival, sex and immature/mature ratio, condition factor) of resident or caged Cnesterodon decemmaculatus after spraying or rainfall events, not even one year after, at the beginning of the next crop cycle. Although cypermethrin was "very highly toxic" to C. decemmaculatus in laboratory water (96h-LC(50)=0.43microg/l), its toxicity was reduced in filtered (78%) and unfiltered (92%) stream water. Changes in LC(50) values were mainly correlated with the OC content of each water fraction (r(2)=0.99; p<0.01; n=9), showing that both DOC and TOC contributed proportionally to toxicity reduction. Protective effects of stream water (12-fold reduction LC(50) values) explained the lack of effects on fish populations in the field, despite cypermethrin water concentrations after spraying reached values comparable with the 96h-LC(50). Therefore, cypermethrin under field-use conditions in transgenic-soybean production represents a low risk of acute exposure for fish populations inhabiting low-order temperate-streams rich in TOC. The relationship between LC(50) and TOC could be a convenient way to improve risk estimation based on laboratory toxicity testing.
Assuntos
Ciprinodontiformes , Inseticidas/toxicidade , Piretrinas/toxicidade , Poluentes Químicos da Água/toxicidade , Agricultura , Animais , Argentina , Biotecnologia , Feminino , Dose Letal Mediana , Masculino , Rios , Glycine maxRESUMO
The aim of the present study was to assess the responses of the gonopodium morphology and the gonadal and liver histology of adult male Cnesterodon decemmaculatus to sublethal long-term exposure concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). Two experiments were conducted exposing the fish to waterborne concentrations of EE2 ranging from 20 ng/L to 200 ng/L for 8 wk, 12 wk, and 16 wk. Intersex gonads were observed after 8 wk and 16 wk in fish exposed to 200 ng EE2/L and 100 ng EE2/L, respectively. Oocytes' development from testis germ cells and replacement of the efferent duct periodic acid-Schiff-positive secretion surrounding spermatozeugmata by parenchymal tissue and duct structure alterations were the major observed changes in the gonads. In contrast, no response was observed in the gonopodium morphology. Liver histology was also altered, showing increasing steatosis, single-cell necrosis to generalized necrosis, and disruption of acinar organization from 100 ng EE2/L to 200 ng EE2/L. In summary, the present results showed that although EE2 was not able to alter the morphology of a developed gonopodium, it was capable of inducing development of testicular oocytes in adult male C. decemmaculatus at environmentally relevant concentrations. Thus, externally normal but intersex C. decemmaculatus males would be expected in the wastewater-receiving streams that the species inhabits. According to the literature, the present study would be the first indicating estrogen-induced intersex in adult male poeciliid. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1738-1745. © 2016 SETAC.