Transplant caging of seabream (Sparus aurata) as a monitoring tool for marine pollution assessment in the Montenegrin Adriatic coast

More frequent application of biological parameters beside the conventional chemical parameters in national monitoring for marine ecosystem assessment is supported by UNEP/MAP. Accordingly, to evaluate the possible effects of pollution by determination of trace element content and genotoxicity assessment in marine organisms within the Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro (southern Adriatic), we carried a field study which included transplantation of the seabream (Sparus aurata) from aquaculture farm (Orahovac) to more impacted sites (Dobrota and port of Tivat), situated in vicinity of the main ports. On the sampling site Orahovac, the group of seabream specimens were placed in closed fish trap on 5 m depth (O1), another fish trap was placed in Dobrota, while the third fish trap with seabreams was placed at the site port of Tivat. The additional group was sampled from standard aquaculture cage on sampling site (O2) to reduce possible bias in genotoxicity data due to confined space within the fish trap. After two weeks of exposure, blood from fish heart was taken, afterwards muscle tissues were prepared for trace element determination. Genotoxicity was measured by DNA damage induction based on comet (single cell gel electrophoresis) assay parameter – Tail intensity (TI%), while trace element (As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn and V) content was determined by ICP. Mean values of TI% obtained from seabream specimens at the sampling site Orahovac were: 4.26 ± 0.17 – O1 and 2.56 ± 0.11 – O2, while TI% values for transplanted specimens on the sites Dobrota and port of Tivat were 6.38 ± 0.17 and 11.06 ± 0.23, respectively. Statistically significant differences (p<0,05) of TI% were observed between all specimens groups. The group of seabream from port of Tivat showed the highest TI% (higher level of DNA damage), most probably caused by marine pollution. Obtained trace element concentrations in seabream tissues were significantly lower in comparison to values recommended by FAO, EC and national legislatives of Croatia, Spain and Turkey. Since transplanted fish showed a significant response in a relatively short exposure period, our results support the introduction of seabream caging as monitoring tool to reveal marine pollution by multiple biomarker approach. Considering the significant share of aquacultured seabream in human consumption, higher availability for sampling and convenience in application for molecular biomarker analyses in the same samples, such an integrated monitoring approach would contribute to more credible data

Trace elements in the mediterranean mussel from the aspect of human health and impact of physicochemical parameters of marine environment

Cilj ove doktorske disertacije, pored ispitivanja sadržaja elemenata u tragovima u mekom tkivu dagnji iz Bokokotorskog zaliva, bio je da se ispita uticaj pojedinih fizičko-hemijskih parametara morske sredine na sadržaj elemenata u tragovima u mekom tkivu mediteranske dagnje, Mytilus galloprovincialis, kao i da se izvrši procjena rizika po ljudsko zdravlje, izazvanog konzumiranjem tih dagnji. U tu svrhu određene su koncentracije Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn i Hg u uzorcima dagnji i površinskog sedimenta, sakupljenih sa tri hidrogeološki i geografski različito pozicionirane lokacije u Bokokotorskom zalivu (IBMK, COGI i Žanjice) tokom dvogodišnjeg perioda (jesen 2014. – jesen 2016. godine). Za jednu od ispitivanih lokacija izabrano je komercijalno uzgajalište dagnji (COGI)...The aim of this PhD thesis, in addition to determination of trace element contents in soft tissues of mussels from Boka Kotorska Bay, was to investigate the impact of some physico-chemical parameters of marine environment on the trace element contents in soft tissues of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, as well as to asses the human health risks via consumption of these mussels. For this purpose, the concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn and Hg were determined in mussel and surface sediment samples, collected from three hydrogeologicaly and geographicaly different locations in Boka Kotorska Bay (IBMK, COGI and Žanjice) during the period of two years (autumn 2014 – autumn 2016). A commercial mussel farm (COGI) was chosen as one of the investigated locations..

Seasonal determination of sea water quality using mussels and macroalgae as bioindicators

Uzorci morske vode, morske trava (Posidonia oceanica) i školjki (Mythus galloprovincialis) prikupljeni na priobalnom području Boke Kotorske, Crna Gora, sa sedam lokacija, i analizirani kako bi se utvrdio kvalitet morske vode u odnosu na sledeće elemenate: Fe, Zn, Ni, Cd, Co. Cu, Kao, Pb. I Hg. Svi uzorci su uzeti istovremeno u periodu od deset različitih sezona. Na osnovu analize biološkog koncentracionog faktora (BCF) vezanih za školjke i makroalge može se pratiti sezonsko zagađenje morske vode i istovremena P. oceanica i M. galloprovincialis mogu se koristiti kao dobri indikatori sezonskog zagađenja morske vode.Sea water, sea grass (Posidonia oceanica) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) samples were collected from the costal area of Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro, from seven locations and analyzed in order to determine the sea water quality related to the next elements: Fe, Zn, Ni, Cd, Co. Cu, As, Pb, and Hg. All samples were taken in the period of ten different seasons. Based on the analysis of biological concentration factor ( BC for shellfish and seaweed can be traced seasonal pollution of sea water and simultaneously came to the conclusion that P. oceanica and M. galloprovincialis can be a good indicators of the seasonal pollution of sca water

Which Is a More Reliable Bioindicator—Mussels or Seagrass? A Case Study of the Toxic Metal Pollution in the Seawater of Boka Kotorska Bay, Adriatic Sea

In the last decades, human and industrial activities in the coastal areas have increased and that resulted in different types of contamination, including trace elements. Therefore, investigations of the southeastern Adriatic marine environment quality are intensified following seawater, biota, and sediment quality related to metals pollution. Since standard chemical analysis methods cannot provide accurate information about concentrations of trace elements in seawater, the seagrass Posidoniaoceanica (L.) Delile and the mussel Mytilusgalloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819, were used as water pollution bioindicators for identifying, especially, toxic trace elements in the Mediterranean. Surface sediment, seawater, seagrass (P. oceanica), and mussel (M. galloprovincialis) samples were collected in different seasons from the coastal area of Boka Kotorska Bay in the last 10 years (2006–2016), and analyzed in order to determine the seawater quality mainly related to Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, Co, Cd, As, Pb, and Hg. Based on the analysis of the metal pollution index values (MPIs) in both species the highest metal concentrations were measured in winters for most of the studied trace elements. The Hg accumulation in both investigated organisms was the lowest and almost the same

Hemijski sastav uzoraka školjki, uključujući i sadržaj Al i Li/The chemical composition of mussels samples, including Al and Li

Koncentracije Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn i Hg proučavane su u školjkama sakupljenim u priobalnom području Bokokotorskog zaliva sa tri lokacije tokom četiri različite sezone. Koncentracije Al i Li u tkivu školjke Mytilus galloprovincialis su prvi put određivani. Litium ima zaštitnu ulogu u ishrani ljudi, dok aluminium ima naročito toksične efekte i kod školjki i kod ljudi. Dobijeni rezultati za sve ispitivane elemente analizirani su pomoću Pirsonovog korelacionog koeficijenta (r) i klaster analize (CA). CA upotrebljena je za diskriminaciju grupa uzoraka prema sličnostima u hemijskom sastavu

Human exposure to trace elements via consumption of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis from Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro

In order to assess human health risks via consumption of potentially toxic mussels, the concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn and Hg were studied in Mytilus galloprovincialis collected from the coastal area of Montenegro. By two approaches for the human health risk assessment (HHRA), considering oral reference doses by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and provisional tolerable intakes by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), it has been revealed that despite the fact that trace element levels do not exceed the defined limits for mussels, they can be limiting factors for the mussel consumption. Specifically, it was noticed that the levels of Co, Pb, Cd and Li could be the limiting factors for the consumption of mussels from this coastal area. Al and Li data obtained in this study are especially important since these two elements have not been previously studied in M. galloprovincialis. Furthermore, taking into account the significant differences in concentrations of elements in different seasons, the study confirmed the starting assumption that in the calculations for the HHRA the average concentrations of elements in samples taken in different seasons during a longer period should be used

The impacts of seawater physicochemical parameters and sediment metal contents on trace metal concentrations in musselsa chemometric approach

The concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Zn, and Hg were studied in Mytilus galloprovincialis collected from the coastal area of Montenegro. The impact of seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, total organic carbon (TOC), and metal content in sediment samples on the metal contents in mussels collected from three locations in four different seasons was analyzed by a Pearson correlation coefficient (r), principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA). These analyses were used to discriminate groups of samples, elements, and seawater parameters, according to similarity of samples chemical composition in different seasons, as well as the impact of seawater parameters and surface sediment composition on the mussels' element concentrations. Synergistic interactions occurred between seawater TOC, Fe, and Al concentrations in mussels. Compared with other studies, which are usually performed under constant laboratory conditions where mussels undergo only one stress at a time, this study was performed in nature. The analyses showed the importance of considering simultaneously acting environmental parameters that make determining of separate impacts of each factor selected very difficult and complex