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Evaluation of the potential of the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule L.) for the ecological risk assessment of estuarine sediments: bioaccumulation and biomarkers

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Abstract

Common cockles (Cerastoderma edule, L. 1758, Bivalvia: Cardiidae) were subjected to a laboratory assay with sediments collected from distinct sites of the Sado Estuary (Portugal). Cockles were obtained from a mariculture site of the Sado Estuary and exposed through 28-day, semi-static, assays to sediments collected from three sites of the estuary. Sediments from these sites revealed different physico-chemical properties and levels of metals and organic contaminants, ranging from unimpacted (the reference site) to moderately impacted, when compared to available sediment quality guidelines. Cockles were surveyed for bioaccumulation of trace elements (Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) and organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs and DDTs). Two sets of potential biomarkers were employed to assess toxicity: whole-body metallothionein (MT) induction and digestive gland histopathology. The bioaccumulation factor and the biota-to-soil accumulation factor were estimated as ecological indices of exposure to metals and organic compounds. From the results it is inferred that C. edule responds to sediment-bound contamination and might, therefore, be suitable for biomonitoring. The species was found capable to regulate and eliminate both types of contaminants. Still, the sediment contamination levels do not account for all the variation in bioaccumulation and MT levels, which may result from the moderate metal concentrations found in sediments, the species’ intrinsic resistance to pollution and from yet unexplained xenobiotic interaction effects.

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Acknowledgments

The present research was approved by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) and POCTI (Programa Operacional Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, research project ref. POCTI/AMB 57281/104) and financed by FEDER (European Fund for Regional Development). The authors would also like to thank APSS (Administração dos Portos de Setúbal e Sesimbra, SA) and RNES (Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado) for the logistic support and Mr Manuel Ribeiro for the offer of the cockles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IMAR-Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Monte de Caparica, Portugal

    Jorge Lobo, Pedro M. Costa, Sandra Caeiro & Maria H. Costa

  2. Departamento de Ciências Exactas e Tecnológicas, Universidade Aberta, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 141, 1269-001, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sandra Caeiro

  3. IPIMAR-INRB, Instituto Nacional dos Recursos Biológicos, Avenida de Brasília, 1449-006, Lisbon, Portugal

    Marta Martins, Ana M. Ferreira, Miguel Caetano, Rute Cesário & Carlos Vale

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  1. Jorge Lobo
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  2. Pedro M. Costa
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  3. Sandra Caeiro
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  4. Marta Martins
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  8. Carlos Vale
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  9. Maria H. Costa
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Correspondence to Jorge Lobo.

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Lobo, J., Costa, P.M., Caeiro, S. et al. Evaluation of the potential of the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule L.) for the ecological risk assessment of estuarine sediments: bioaccumulation and biomarkers. Ecotoxicology 19, 1496–1512 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0535-7

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