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Heavy-Metal Content and Oxidative Damage in Hypsiboas faber: The Impact of Coal-Mining Pollutants on Amphibians

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Abstract

It has been identified worldwide that amphibians are experiencing massive population declines. This decrease could be further enhanced by the exposure of amphibians to pollutants, which would enhance reactive oxygen species production and cause subsequent alterations in oxidant defense levels. The present study was aimed at understanding the impact of mineral coal on amphibians. For this purpose, chemical elemental contents and oxidative stress indexes in Hypsiboas faber from coal-mining areas and in an unpolluted area in the Catarinense Coal Basin, Brazil, were assessed. The highest contents of sulfur, chlorine, iron, zinc, and bromine were registered in specimens from the coal-mining area, whereas the highest contents of potassium calcium, and silicon were registered in specimens from the control area. It was found that there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the activity of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the animals from the coal-mining area, whereas the level of catalase showed no differences between the animal groups. The levels of TBARS showed no differences between the tested groups. However, carbonylation decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in animals from the coal-mining area, and there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the formation of total thiols in animals from the coal-mining area. In conclusion, the antioxidant system of H. faber is sensitive to pollutants present in coal-mining wastes, and its SOD and GPx activity may be a potential biomarker for monitoring the level of contaminants in the environment.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was funded by The Programa de Iniciação Científica da Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa Científica e Tecnológica do Estado de Santa Catarina, and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Laboratório de Ecologia de Paisagem e de Vertebrados, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC), Av. Universitária, 1105, Bairro Universitário, Criciúma, SC, CEP: 88806-000, Brazil

    Jairo José Zocche, Rodrigo Ávila Mendonça & Poliana Bernardo Peres

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica do Exercício, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil

    Luciano Acordi da Silva

  3. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Laboratório de Imunologia e Mutagênese, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil

    Adriani Paganini Damiani & Vanessa Moraes de Andrade

  4. Laboratório de Implantação Iônica, Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Carla Eliete Iochims dos Santos, Rafaela Debastiani, Johnny Ferraz Dias & Ricardo Aurino Pinho

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  1. Jairo José Zocche
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  2. Luciano Acordi da Silva
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Correspondence to Jairo José Zocche.

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Zocche, J.J., da Silva, L.A., Damiani, A.P. et al. Heavy-Metal Content and Oxidative Damage in Hypsiboas faber: The Impact of Coal-Mining Pollutants on Amphibians. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 66, 69–77 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-013-9949-6

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