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An integrated study on Gammarus elvirae (Crustacea, Amphipoda): perspectives for toxicology of arsenic-contaminated freshwater

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Abstract

The Italian region Latium is characterized by extensive quaternary volcanic systems that contribute greatly to arsenic (As) contamination of freshwater, including drinking water supplies. However, knowledge of the possible toxic effects in these aquatic environments is, despite being highly relevant to public health, still limited. In this paper, we approach this issue using Gammarus elvirae, an amphipod species that inhabits rivers and streams in central Italy, including Latium. We explored the possibility of using G. elvirae in the toxicology of freshwater by addressing the most relevant issues. First, we tested the usefulness of hemocytes from G. elvirae in determining non-specific DNA damage by means of the Comet assay after exposure (24 h and 7 days) to different river water samples in Latium; second, we provided an interpretative overview of the usefulness of hepatopancreatic epithelial cells of G. elvirae as a means of assessing toxicity after long-term exposure to As and other pollutants; third, the LC (50–240 h) value for G. elvirae was estimated for arsenate, which is usually the dominant arsenic species in surface waters. Our study sheds light on G. elvirae at different levels, providing a background for future toxicological research of freshwater.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Giovanna Di Donato for her help in the fieldwork and laboratory. This work was partly supported by the Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. We would also like to thank the editor Thomas Braunbeck and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and helpful suggestions that helped to improve the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INAIL, Research, Certification, Verification Area, Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, Products and Anthropic Settlements (DIT), Via Alessandria, 220/E, 00198, Rome, Italy

    Domenico Davolos & Biancamaria Pietrangeli

  2. “Charles Darwin” Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università, 32, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Domenico Davolos, Claudio Chimenti, Lucilla Ronci, Andrea Setini & Elvira De Matthaeis

  3. ENEA C.R., Sustainable Management of Agricultural Ecosystems Laboratory, Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301, 00123, Rome, Italy

    Valentina Iannilli

Authors
  1. Domenico Davolos
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  2. Claudio Chimenti
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  3. Lucilla Ronci
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  4. Andrea Setini
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  5. Valentina Iannilli
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  6. Biancamaria Pietrangeli
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  7. Elvira De Matthaeis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Domenico Davolos.

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Responsible editor: Thomas Braunbeck

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Davolos, D., Chimenti, C., Ronci, L. et al. An integrated study on Gammarus elvirae (Crustacea, Amphipoda): perspectives for toxicology of arsenic-contaminated freshwater. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 15563–15570 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4727-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4727-9

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