| Abstract | Recent studies showed that endocrine active compounds (EDs) capable to induce fish gonadal histopathologies, plasma vitellogenin and thyroid disruption, are transported by the River Lambro to the River Po, potentially affecting the fish community of the main Italian river. To assess whether fish relative abundance, composition and health were impaired by the River Lambro, a 3-year survey was undertaken in the main river. Results showed that the tributary supports in the River Po a denser fish community (+43 %), with a higher total biomass (+35 %). The survey also showed niche- and sensitivity-dependent effects, so that three benthopelagic species (bleak, topmouth gudgeon, and bitterling) were, for example, more abundant downstream from the tributary (up to 3.4×), but their sizes were significantly smaller. The present fish community was then compared with that described 30 years before in the same area of the Po River. This comparison highlighted that some fish species have disappeared and many have severely declined. To better evaluate this contrast, a sediment core of the Lambro tributary was analysed for the time trends of natural estrogens (E1, E2, E3), bisphenol A and alkylphenols. The results showed that during the last 50 years the River Lambro has been exposed to high estrogenic activities (16.1 ± 9.3 ng E2 equivalents/g), which inevitably affected also the River Po. In addition, at the time of the previous survey, six species of the main river had skewed sex ratios toward all-female populations, providing evidence that EDs and particularly (xeno)estrogens were already affecting the long-term viability of fish populations. Estrogens thus can be ascribed among the causal factors of fish qualitative and quantitative decline of the River Po, although long-term effects have been likely mitigated by nonconfinement of fish populations and nutrient enrichment. |
| Text | 367261 2016 10.1007/s00244 016 0315 3 Scopus 2 s2.0 84988672568 ISI Web of Science WOS 000387086000002 Endocrine disrupters sex ratio long term effects river sediment Medium and Long Term Effects of Estrogenic Contaminants on the Middle River Po Fish Community as Reconstructed from a Sediment Core Vigano L.; Loizeau J. L.; Mandich A.; Mascolo G. Water Research Institute, National Council of Research IRSA CNR , via del Mulino 19, Milan, Brugherio, 20861, Italy; Institut F. A. Forel, University of Geneva, Uni Carl Vogt, Bd Carl Vogt 66, Geneve 4, 1211, Switzerland; Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 5, Genoa, 16132, Italy; Water Research Institute, National Council of Research IRSA CNR , via F. de Blasio 5, Bari, Italy Recent studies showed that endocrine active compounds EDs capable to induce fish gonadal histopathologies, plasma vitellogenin and thyroid disruption, are transported by the River Lambro to the River Po, potentially affecting the fish community of the main Italian river. To assess whether fish relative abundance, composition and health were impaired by the River Lambro, a 3 year survey was undertaken in the main river. Results showed that the tributary supports in the River Po a denser fish community 43 % , with a higher total biomass 35 % . The survey also showed niche and sensitivity dependent effects, so that three benthopelagic species bleak, topmouth gudgeon, and bitterling were, for example, more abundant downstream from the tributary up to 3.4× , but their sizes were significantly smaller. The present fish community was then compared with that described 30 years before in the same area of the Po River. This comparison highlighted that some fish species have disappeared and many have severely declined. To better evaluate this contrast, a sediment core of the Lambro tributary was analysed for the time trends of natural estrogens E1, E2, E3 , bisphenol A and alkylphenols. The results showed that during the last 50 years the River Lambro has been exposed to high estrogenic activities 16.1 ± 9.3 ng E2 equivalents/g , which inevitably affected also the River Po. In addition, at the time of the previous survey, six species of the main river had skewed sex ratios toward all female populations, providing evidence that EDs and particularly xeno estrogens were already affecting the long term viability of fish populations. Estrogens thus can be ascribed among the causal factors of fish qualitative and quantitative decline of the River Po, although long term effects have been likely mitigated by nonconfinement of fish populations and nutrient enrichment. 71 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 84988672568 origin=inward Medium and Long Term Effects of Estrogenic Contaminants on the Middle River Po Fish Community as Reconstructed from a Sediment Core file articolo in formato pdf Po fish community Sediment core 16 PUBLISHED.pdf Articolo in rivista Springer. 0090 4341 Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Print Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Print Arch. environ. contam. toxicol. Print luigi.vigano VIGANO LUIGI giuseppe.mascolo MASCOLO GIUSEPPE |
