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Biomarkers’ Responses of Rhamdia quelen Exposed In Situ on a Brazilian River Located in Agricultural Areas

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Abstract

Aquatic environments are impacted by the use of pesticides in agricultural areas, and to evaluate its impact on wildlife, in situ exposure has become an alternative. In this study, the fish Rhamdia quelen was used as a bioindicator for the in situ experimental protocol. The fish were exposed for 96 h in three different sites at Vacacaí river located in Southern Brazil. After exposure, the brain, gills, liver, and muscles were collected for biochemical assays. Biomarkers of oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, detoxification, and antioxidant parameters were analyzed. The calculation of the Integrated Biomarker Response Index (IBR) was used to assess the responses of the biomarkers as an integrated approach. The most significant biochemical changes were recorded in places close to agricultural crops and in urban areas. The main results show elevated levels of carbonyl proteins in the brain, gills, and liver. Disruptions in acetylcholinesterase activity in the muscle. Other results include changes in glutathione S-transferase activity in the muscle and liver of fish indicating potential contamination. Furthermore, R. quelen proved to be an excellent bioindicator for in situ experiments, since the biomarkers responded in a manner consistent with the characteristics of the environment in which they were inserted.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria and Universidade Federal do Pampa for the support and facilities.

Funding

Coordenação de aperfeiçoamento de pessoal de nível superior (CAPES) provided scholarship and undergraduate student grant. Vania Lucia Loro received CNPq research fellowship (process number: 309314/2017–8).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Eduardo Severo, Aline Marins & Vania Lucia Loro

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas – Bioquímica Toxicológica, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Charlene de Menezes, Mauro Nunes, Camila Murussi & Vania Lucia Loro

  3. Laboratório de Análises de Resíduos de Pesticidas (LARP), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Osmar Damian Prestes & Martha Bohrer Adaime

  4. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Ambiental (PPGEAmb), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Tamiris Rosso Storck & Barbara Clasen

  5. Laboratório de Toxicologia Ambiental, Departamento de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 90010-191, Brazil

    Barbara Clasen

  6. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil

    Dennis Guilherme da Costa-Silva

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  1. Eduardo Severo
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  2. Aline Marins
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Severo, E., Marins, A., de Menezes, C. et al. Biomarkers’ Responses of Rhamdia quelen Exposed In Situ on a Brazilian River Located in Agricultural Areas. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 144 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06160-8

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