4.7 Article

Impacts of wildfires in aquatic organisms: biomarker responses and erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities in Gambusia holbrooki exposed in situ

Journal

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
Volume 28, Issue 37, Pages 51733-51744

Publisher

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14377-5

Keywords

Wildfire effects; Aquatic ecosystem; Biomarkers; Gambusia holbrooki; In situ bioassays; Metals

Funding

  1. FCT/MCTES [UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020]
  2. project RECARE - European Commission [603498]
  3. project AQUAFIRE [PTDC/CTA-AMB/28936/2017]
  4. project ASHMOB - FEDER, through COMPETE2020 -POCI [PTDC/ASP-SIL/29351/2017]
  5. national funds (OE) through FCT/MCTES
  6. FCT [SFRH/BD/112210/2015]
  7. FCT programme Stimulus of Scientific Employment [CEECIND/01653/2017, FCT-IF/01465/2015, CEECIND/01665/2017]
  8. national funds (OE), through FCT
  9. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/112210/2015] Funding Source: FCT

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Wildfires can lead to environmental issues such as loss of forest area and biodiversity, as well as contamination of freshwater systems by metals. In this study, fish exposed in burnt areas exhibited higher metal levels and oxidative stress responses, indicating potential ecological harm. The frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities was also higher in sites affected by wildfires, highlighting the importance of using sensitive biomarkers for early detection of harmful effects on ecosystems.
Wildfires are an environmental concern due to the loss of forest area and biodiversity, but also because their role as drivers of freshwater systems contamination by metals. In this context, the fish Gambusia holbrooki was used as a model, deployed for in situ exposure in watercourses standing within a recently burnt area and further assessment of toxic effects. The fish were exposed during 4 days at four different sites: one upstream and another downstream the burnt area and two within the burnt area. Biochemical biomarkers for oxidative stress and damage were assessed. The extent of lipoperoxidative damage was monitored by quantifying malondialdehyde and DNA damage evaluated through erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities observation. Chemical analysis revealed higher metal levels within the burnt area, and exposed fish consistently showed pro-oxidative responses therein, particularly an increase of gill glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activity, the records doubling compared to samples from sites in the unburnt area; also the activity of glutathione-S-transferases comparatively increased (by 2-fold in the liver) in samples from the burnt area, and malondialdehyde was produced twice as much therein and in samples downstream the burnt area reflecting oxidative damage. Consistently, the frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities was higher at sites within and downstream the burnt area. This study supports the use of sensitive oxidative stress and genotoxicity biomarkers for an early detection of potentially noxious ecological effects of wildfires runoff.

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