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. 2020 Aug 19;6(8):e04666.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04666. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Evaluation of metal contamination effects in piranhas through biomonitoring and multi biomarkers approach

Caroline da Silva Montes  1 , Maria Auxiliadora Pantoja Ferreira  1 , Tommaso Giarrizzo  2 , Lílian Lund Amado  3 , Rossineide Martins Rocha  1
Affiliations

Evaluation of metal contamination effects in piranhas through biomonitoring and multi biomarkers approach

Caroline da Silva Montes et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

The present field study aimed to assess the water quality of the Itacaiúnas River, located at the eastern part of the Brazilian Amazon, using water's physicochemical parameters, ecological risk assessment in sediments, biomarkers and metal bioaccumulation in piranhas at two points: upstream (P1) and downstream (P2), and the type of season (Dry and Rainy). We revealed a significant difference between the points and the seasons. Concerning, the concentration of metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Hg) in sediment and water, we reported significant concentrations of Cd and Cu especially on P2 at dry season. The fish gills collected in P2 showed various types of damages (moderate and severe), furthermore, the Degree of Tissue Change (DTC) reported a significant difference between points, highlighting the dreadful condition in animals' health originated from this point. In terms of the biotransformation enzyme, the GST activity was higher in fishes from P2 in both seasons. The obtained results showed clear signs of stress in fish from the downstream point. Linear correlation analysis exhibited that the biomarkers' response could be linked to the detected metals bioaccumulation. This field investigation provides baseline data on pollution status in this region and the results showed that although the overall potential ecological risks of the metals were considered low at our sampling sites including cadmium, however, Cd posed a noteworthy monomial potential ecological risk factor. Strong evidence of correlation was obtained between Cd in the environment with the gills' damage in fishes from P2. The results also indicated that S. rhombeus could be useful for biomonitoring species for assessing metal contamination.

Keywords: Biochemistry; Biomarkers; Cell biology; Environmental analysis; Environmental impact assessment; Environmental risk assessment; Environmental science; Fish; Gills; Histology; Mining; Toxicology.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map showing Itacaiunas River located at north of Brazil in Para State springs and irrigation channels; POINT 1(Upstream), POINT 2 (Downstream).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Longitudinal sections of gill filaments of S. rhombeus. (A) Fishes captured in P1 with normal structure for teleost Branchial: filament (F) and second lamella (large arrow); (B) Detail of the second lamella with a slender appearance and without tissue damages: CP – Pillar cell, CM – Mucous cell; Epithelial cell (head arrow) (C) Gills tissues from S. rhombeus captured in P2 presenting lesions: Aneurism (An), Necrosis (Nc), Proliferation of cells (PLc), lifting of epithelium (short arrow); (D) Filament with severe alterations caused by cell proliferation generating completely Lamellar fusion (FLm).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Gill epithelial of S. rhombeus cell under transmission electron microscopy (TEM) (A) Normal appearance of the secondary lamellae; distinct paviment cell (Pv), Chloride cell (CC) and Blood Cell (bc). (B) Detail of a normal secondary lamella presenting a slender and regular cells such as: Pillar Cells (Pc) and Chloride cell (CC). (C) Detail of altered lamellae, such as prominent microridges (Mr), hypertrophied and disarrangement in the architecture of the tissue; paviment cell (Pv) and Pilar cell (Pc). (D) Detail of the secondary lamellae reporting the tubular system of the chloride cells altered (black arrow), hypertrophied Paviment Cell (Pv) and dilated mitochondria (head arrow).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Biochemical biomarkers in the gills of S. rhombeus (catalase (A), GST (B), LPO (C) and SOD (D)). One-way ANOVA test followed by tukey test, p < 0.05.
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