Biochemical responses of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis to petrochemical environmental contamination along the North-western coast of Portugal

Yes, caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, novobiocin and tamoxifen have an effect on Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774)

1
The community composition and spatial distribution of the macrobenthic fauna in relation to abiotic factors was investigated at 20 sites along the River Minho estuarine gradient, in the north-west Iberian Peninsula

2
A total of 68 taxa were identified and the non-indigenous invasive species Corbicula fluminea dominated both numerically (431%) and by biomass (977%)

3
Multivariate analysis identified spatial differences in structure and composition of assemblages and suggests a continuum between five distinct assemblages along the length of the estuary This situation fits the two-ecocline model in which an ecocline from the sea to mid-estuary overlaps with an ecocline from freshwater to mid-estuary

4
Each assemblage was found in a particular physico-chemical environment and had a specific composition The distribution and diversity patterns were linked to salinity However, inside each assemblage the sediment characteristics (granulometry and organic matter content) played an important role

5
The highest abundances, biomasses and total species numbers were recorded from upstream freshwater tidal areas, indicating the importance of these habitats within estuarine ecosystems



Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Subtidal macrozoobenthic assemblages along the River Minho estuarine gradient (north‐west Iberian Peninsula)

To investigate associations among occupational exposure to coke oven emissions (COEs), oxidative stress, cytogenotoxic effects, change in the metabolizing enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), and internal levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coke oven workers, we recruited 47 male coke oven workers and 31 male control subjects from a coke oven plant in northern China. We measured the levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in urine, micronucleated binucleated cells (BNMNs) in peripheral blood lymphocyte, and GST in serum. Our results showed that the group exposed to COEs had significantly increased levels of 1-OHP [median 5.7; interquartile range (IQR), 1.4–12.0 μmol/mol creatinine] compared with the control group (3; 0.5–6.4 μmol/mol creatinine). In addition, the median levels (IQR) of 8-OHdG, BNMNs, and GST were markedly increased in the exposed [1.9 (1.4–15.4) μmol/mol creatinine; 6 (2–8) per thousand; 22.1 (14.9–31.2) U/L, respectively] compared with controls [1.3 (1.0–4.0) μmol/mol creatinine, 2 (0–4) per thousand; and 13.1 (9.5–16.7) U/L, respectively]. These results appeared to be modified by smoking. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that exposure to COEs had the highest odds ratio among variables analyzed and that smoking was not a significant confounder of the levels of studied biomarkers. Overall, the present findings suggest that COE exposure led to increased internal PAH burden, genetic damage, oxidative stress, and GST activity. The consequences of the changes in these biomarkers, such as risk of cancer, warrant further investigations.

Elevated Levels of Urinary 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, Lymphocytic Micronuclei, and Serum Glutathione S-Transferase in Workers Exposed to Coke Oven Emissions

M. Couderchet

Papers

Glutathione-S-transferase activity of Fucus spp. as a biomarker of environmental contamination.