Hydrobia ulvae imposex levels at Ria de Aveiro (NW Portugal) between 1998 and 2007: a counter-current bioindicator?
- 13 October 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in J. Environ. Monit.
- Vol. 12 (2), 500-507
- https://doi.org/10.1039/b908597a
Abstract
Imposex expression in prosobranch gastropods has been widely used as a biomarker of tributyltin (TBT) pollution. Estuaries have been described as the most affected areas by this problem since they usually enclose the main TBT sources—ports, dockyards and marinas—resulting from the compound’s application as a biocide in antifouling paints on ships. Using Hydrobia ulvae as a bioindicator, the current work addresses the most reliable methods to reduce the influence of critical variables, such as the animals' size, on imposex levels assessment for TBT pollution monitoring and presents its temporal trends from 1998 to 2007 in Ria de Aveiro (NW Portugal) to evaluate the effectiveness of recent legislation applied to reduce TBT environmental levels. H. ulvae imposex levels did not decrease in this estuarine system during the last decade despite the implementation of the EU Regulation No. 782/2003. Instead, there was a global significant increase in the percentage of females affected by imposex and a slight increase of the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI), contrasting with what has been described for other bioindicators in the same study area. These results show that different biology/ecology traits determine distinct routes of TBT uptake and/or bioaccumulation, pointing the importance of choosing the bioindicator depending on the compartment that is being monitored (sediment vs. water). Sediment ingestion as feeding habit is discussed and pointed as a reason to choose H. ulvae as a bioindicator of TBT pollution persistence in sediment. It is therefore predicted that the response of different prosobranch species around the world may diverge according to the compartment that is being monitored and that female masculinisation may not be completely eradicated in the near future due to TBT persistence in sediments.Keywords
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- Imposex levels and tributyltin pollution in Ria de Aveiro (NW Portugal) between 1997 and 2007: evaluation of legislation effectivenessPublished by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) ,2009
- Assessment of spatial environmental quality status in Ria de Aveiro (Portugal)Scientia Marina, 2007
- Mapping landscape corridorsEcological Indicators, 2006
- Variation in feeding rate of the intertidal mudsnail Hydrobia ulvae in relation to the tidal cycleMarine Ecology, 2006
- Organotin contamination, imposex and androgen/oestrogen ratios in natural populations of Nassarius reticulatus along a ship density gradientApplied Organometallic Chemistry, 2005
- Age and growth of Nassarius reticulatus in the Ria de Aveiro, north-west PortugalJournal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2005
- Use of artificial collectors shows semilunar rhythm of planktonic dispersal in juvenile Hydrobia ulvae (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia)Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2004
- Monitoring of organotin compounds and their effects in marine molluscsTrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 1998
- Migratory rhythms of drifting juvenile molluscs in tidal waters of the Wadden SeaMarine Ecology Progress Series, 1992
- The Decline of the Gastropod Nucella Lapillus Around South-West England: Evidence for the Effect of Tributyltin from Antifouling PaintsJournal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1986