Abordagens biológicas como instrumento de avaliação de risco ambiental em estuários da região metropolitana de Fortaleza-CE: biomarcadores e toxicidade de sedimentos

Abstract

The estuarine systems are among the most threatened coastal environments. The Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) could be predicted by applying the Weight of Evidence approach, that is based on several Lines of Evidence (LOE) to assess the effect of contaminants in the ecosystems. The use of biomarkers in ERA can provide an early detection of stress at sublethal levels (early-warning), providing good data-base for coastal management. Sediment quality assessment is also an important component in ERA, since it accumulates contaminants and serves as source of pollution to the ecosystems. The aim of this study is assess the environmental risk and quality of two tropical estuaries in Fortaleza’s metropolitan area - CE - Brazil (Ceará river – RC; Pacoti river). Sediments were collected to evaluate potential toxic effects (chronic toxicity), granulometric characteristics, organic matter content (OM) and carbonate (CaCO3). The enzymatic activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and cholinesterase (ChE) were analyzed in anterior and posterior gills of land crab Goniopsis cruentata, while the hemolymph was used to quantify DNA damage. The sediments showed high contents of mud, CaCO3 and organic matter, indicating a depositional site, with strong marine influence and potential to accumulate contaminants. In toxicity tests all samples of the estuaries were significantly different from control and potentially toxic. The RC1 station showed inhibition of enzymatic activity of ChE related to the pesticides and carbamate compounds inputs by an agriculture area near the site. Although GST activity was not significantly different between estuaries, it was considered that GST activity was induced in both estuaries due to contamination in Ceará river and increasing pollution in the Pacoti river. In relation to DNA damage, the samples of the Ceará river showed significant damage when compared to the Pacoti river, indicating that despite the detoxification systems (GST), exposure to genotoxic compounds are causing deleterious effects on crabs. We conclude that Ceará river has the worst conditions for aquatic organisms, with the presence of genotoxic, biochemical, and chronic toxicity effects, while Pacoti river is under moderated stress, that was evidenced by the chronic toxicity and biochemical effects. In addition, the Grapsidae crab G. cruentata could be a good sentinel organism for tropical estuary environmental assessment. It requires the application of other approaches, to elucidate in more detail the relationship between pollution, dynamics of abiotic factors and effects on biota, such as mandatory step for risk assessment and integrated management of estuaries.