Identifying major pesticides affecting bivalve species exposed to agricultural pollution using multi-biomarker and multivariate methods

The aim of this investigation was to identify major pesticides that may cause detrimental effects in bivalve species affected by agricultural pollution. Investigations were carried out using freshwater clams (Corbicula fluminea) transplanted in the main drainage channels that collect the effluents coming from agriculture fields in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain) during the main growing season of rice (from May to August). Environmental hazards were assessed by measuring simultaneous up 46 contaminant levels and 9 biomarker responses. Measured biological responses showed marked differences across sites and months. Antioxidant and esterase enzyme responses were in most cases inhibited. Lipid peroxidation levels increased steadily from May in upstream stations to August in drainage channels. Principal Component (PCA) and Partial Least Squares to Latent Structure regression (PLS)analyses allowed the identification of endosulfan, propanil, and phenylureas as being the chemical contaminants causing the most adverse effects in the studied species.This study was partially supported by the European Union project ‘‘Integrated modeling of the river-sedimentssoil- groundwater system; advanced tools for the management of catchment areas and river basins in the context of global change’’ [AQUATERRA], the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science projects [CGL2004-03514/HD; CGL2007-64551/HID; CTM2007- 62436], and by the FCT Project PTDC/BIA-BDE/72841/2006. Joana Dama´sio was supported by an FCT PhD grant (SFRH/BD/23269/ 2005).Peer reviewe

Identifying major pesticides affecting bivalve species exposed to agricultural pollution using multi-biomarker and multivariate methods

The aim of this investigation was to identify major pesticides that may cause detrimental effects in bivalve species affected by agricultural pollution. Investigations were carried out using freshwater clams (Corbicula fluminea) transplanted in the main drainage channels that collect the effluents coming from agriculture fields in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain) during the main growing season of rice (from May to August). Environmental hazards were assessed by measuring simultaneous up 46 contaminant levels and 9 biomarker responses. Measured biological responses showed marked differences across sites and months. Antioxidant and esterase enzyme responses were in most cases inhibited. Lipid peroxidation levels increased steadily from May in upstream stations to August in drainage channels. Principal Component (PCA) and Partial Least Squares to Latent Structure regression (PLS) analyses allowed the identification of endosulfan, propanil, and phenylureas as being the chemical contaminants causing the most adverse effects in the studied species