Biomarkers of environmental marine pollution for NACCP process along Calabrian coasts.
Journal Title: Biomedicine & Prevention - Year 2017, Vol 2017, Issue 2
Abstract
Environmental pollution is a serious risk factor for human health and for the protection of ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems are among those most exposed to pollution. The problem of environmental pollution has been dealt in the past considering type, quantity, and in some cases theoretical toxicity of individual pollutant. This approach does not account for certain factors, such as: the sources of pollution are point or diffuse and often discontinuous; substances released to the environment often suffer unpredictable changes; the water masses are in constant movement and the environmental characteristics change suddenly; pollutants can have synergistic effects, even if each of them is present at low concentration. The identification of new biomarkers is required to apply the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NACCP) process. Recently it has been developed a new method of investigation to evaluate the effects of pollution on the biological component of an ecosystem that assesses physiological state of its populating organisms. In polluted ecosystems, toxic substances alter the state of health of the organisms causing "stress syndrome", a measurable alteration of the physiological state induced by an environmental change. The stress syndrome can be suitably quantified using appropriate indices, known as "biomarkers". Are defined biomarkers molecular, physiological and cytological alterations resulting from a stress state. It’s revealed very useful the use of specific biomarkers (changes related in a specific way to a stress factor), such as levels of metallothionein (heavy metals); activity of acetylcholinesterase (pesticides) and of cytochromes (contaminants derived from hydrocarbons). The aim of the present study is focusing on reliability of mussels as bioindicator organisms of coastal marine pollution in Calabria. We have reported the analytical results of the molecular assays on gene isoforms of metallothionein (MT10 and MT20), enzymatic activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and of cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1), performed on digestive glands of mussel specie: Mytilus galloprovincialis, transplanted in coastal marine environments. Metallothionein gene expression assays, AChE and CYP1A1 enzymatic activities can be utilized as biomarkers in environmental pollution monitoring programs. Nowadays many authors are convincing that marine bivalve mussels are the most useful sentinel organisms because of many advantages they offer. Molecular and enzymatic assays were performed on digestive gland of mussels transplanted in seven Calabrian (Italy) coastal stations: Caulonia, Cetraro, Crotone, River Mesima’s mouth, Isola Capo Rizzuto, Pellaro, and Vibo Marina. Results obtained by metallothionein gene expression assay showed that two gene isoforms (MT10 and MT20) are differently regulated by some heavy metals. Respect to control, they showed higher gene expression levels in mussels transplanted in marine areas, particularly in those facing industrial locations. In the same way, enzymatic assays (AChE and CYP1A1) showed different values in mussels transplanted in marine areas facing industrial and agricultural locations compared to control. The aim of this work is to confirm the validity of these assays as biomarkers in well-designed environmental monitoring programs.
Authors and Affiliations
Carmela Colica, Immacolata Vecchio, Maria Concetta Strongoli, Rosario Marra, Michelangelo Iannone, Vincenzo Mollace
Keywords
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- EP ID EP334981
- DOI 10.19252/00000006E
- Views 159
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