Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the potential role of the aquatic snake Helicops pastazae as an indicator of water pollution caused by heavy metals. In particular, we tested whether the total heavy metal concentration is related to (1) the position (upstream vs downstream) of the sampling point and its distance from the point where wastewater is discharged; (2) the taxonomic group studied: piscivorous snakes vs characid fish that occupy the same habitats; and (3) the organ or tissue examined: snake liver versus muscle. We used atomic absorption spectrophotometry with electrothermal atomization to quantify cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) and found significant differences between some of the sampling points, with particularly high metal concentrations detected upstream at point 1. However, we found no clear spatial pattern nor any significant differences in the concentration of any of the metals in fish and snake muscle, suggesting that both species accumulate similar amounts of the sampled elements. With regard to interactions, snake liver had the highest concentrations of Cd, while muscle had the highest concentrations of Pb and Cr, which may indicate tissue affinity differences for certain metals. Altogether, our results indicate that H. pastazae accumulates contaminants differentially, depending on the tissue and location, which highlights their potential as bioindicators of water contamination. Further research is necessary to understand their role as bioindicators based on extensive sampling and environmental contaminant data.
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Availability of Data and Material
The datasets created during and/or analyzed during the current study are stored as Electronic Supplementary Material and available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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The codes generated and used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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The departments of biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering, and chemistry at Universidad de los Andes provided the financial support for this research.
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MJHM wrote the research proposal, conducted the data analysis, did the field work, interpreted the results and wrote the initial manuscript. MRS and AA reviewed and approved the research proposal, results and conclusion, and they commented and contributed to drafting the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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The procedures for euthanasia and manipulation of individuals were approved on October 2018 by the Institutional Committee for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (CICUAL) by analyzing the animal use format COR_C.FUA_18-016. Individuals were collected under the permit: “Permiso Marco de Recolección de Especímenes de Especies Silvestres de la Diversidad Biológica con Fines de Investigación Científica No Comercial,” certified under the research project PR.6.2018.4967 “Integración de rasgos funcionales y moleculares en estudios evolutivos de comportamiento y fisiología,” with mobilization permit P04967S3591_N0004.
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Hurtado-Morales, M.J., Susa, M.R. & Amézquita, A. Heavy Metal Concentration in Neotropical Aquatic Snakes (Helicops pastazae) and Its Potential as a Bioindicator of Water Pollution. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 82, 367–378 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-022-00911-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-022-00911-0