Health status of red mullets from polluted areas of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, with special reference to Portmán (SE Spain)

• Published in: Marine environmental research 2012-06, Vol.77, p.50-59
• Main Authors: Martínez-Gómez, Concepción, Fernández, B., Benedicto, J., Valdés, J., Campillo, J.A., León, V.M., Vethaak, A.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; arsenic; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarker; coasts; condition factor; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 - metabolism; DNA; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects-fish; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Monitoring - statistics & numerical data; fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - analysis; gonadosomatic index; Health Status; lead; lipid content; liver; Liver - metabolism; Mediterranean Sea; mercury; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Mullus; Mullus barbatus; muscle tissues; Muscle, Skeletal - chemistry; muscles; persistent organic pollutants; Pollution monitoring; polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Sea water ecosystems; Sediment pollution; sediments; Smegmamorpha - physiology; Spain; Synecology; Techniques; W Mediterranean; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.02.002

A suite of general physiological indicators and hepatic biomarker responses were determined in red mullet (Mullus barbatus) from priority pollution areas of W Mediterranean Sea, including the highly metal polluted area of Portmán (Cartagena, SE Spain). Concentrations of metals and persistent organic pollutants in fish muscle tissue and sediment samples were also analysed. Our results showed that fish from Portmán accumulated the highest concentrations of mercury, lead and arsenic and also of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls congeners. In addition, they had significantly lower condition factor, muscle lipid content and gonadosomatic index, as well as the lowest levels of DNA integrity and the highest ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity in liver of the areas investigated. Contaminant body burden in fish only partly corresponded to chemical characteristics of the sediments in the areas in which they were collected. Our findings indicate that red mullets from Portmán had suboptimal health status that warrant further study. ► Health status of red mullets from polluted areas in the Mediterranean was assessed. ► Physiological, biochemical and chemical indicators were studied in an integrated way. ► Contaminant loads in fish partly corresponded to those found in sediments. ► Fish from Portmán had suboptimal health status that warrants further study.