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Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches

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A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Environment and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 6591

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. M. Dulce Estêvão

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Guest Editor

CCMAR—Centre of Marine Sciences and School of Health, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
Interests: fish mineralized tissues; calcium metabolism; endocrine disruption; estrogen/estrogen receptors; phytoestrogens; systematic reviews
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that a wide range of compounds are present in water, affecting the welfare of all aquatic organisms. Most of these compounds result from human activity, including agriculture and livestock, manufacturing production, and the use of medicines and other pharmaceutical products. Due to their chemical characteristics, many of these products have been accumulating in high concentrations in various locations around the world. Fish represent an important group of aquatic vertebrate organisms that are continuously exposed to these compounds through various routes, such as feeding, skin, and gills, and it is well established that aquatic contaminants can affect various fish physiological processes such as reproduction, development, and the function of the nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system, with significant consequences on their quality of life or even survival. However, fish are not the only organisms affected by pollution, and a lot remains to be unveiled regarding other aquatic species. In this scenario, it is important to continue to identify the various contaminants, their origins, and their modes of action, to prevent their accumulation and promote their removal from already contaminated water bodies, and to assess the risks to which aquatic organisms are exposed so that we can protect these species. In addition, the development of new methods for testing the impacts of pollutants on aquatic organisms is crucial to promote environmental interventions.

This Special Issue will therefore include a wide range of articles in various areas that can contribute to increasing our levels of knowledge to enable us to take action to reduce aquatic environmental pollution and thus protect not only aquatic organisms, but also humans.

We invite you to submit papers (original papers and/or reviews) related to your most recent research that may contribute to the objectives of this Special Issue on “Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions, and Novel Testing Approaches”.

Prof. Dr. M. Dulce Estêvão
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

aquatic pollutant
physiological disruption
fish
aquatic organisms
aquatic environment
bioassays
monitoring

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 216 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches

by Maria Dulce Estêvão

Fishes 2023, 8(2), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8020097 - 06 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1007

Abstract

It is undeniable that there is a wide variety of pollutants in the various water bodies around the planet, including organic and inorganic compounds, pathogenic microorganisms, and microplastics [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 2068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Inorganic Mercury on Semen Quality, Embryo and Larval Development of Bocachico Prochilodus magdalenae

by Diana Madariaga-Mendoza, José Marrugo-Negrete and Víctor Atencio-García

Fishes 2023, 8(9), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8090445 - 31 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 998

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of inorganic mercury (iHg) on the sperm quality, embryos, and larvae of Prochilodus magdalenae. Two experiments were carried out. In experiment 1, semen was activated with contaminated water at different iHg concentrations (0.0, 25, 50, 100 µg/L) and sperm kinetics were analyzed with a computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system. In the second trial, 2 g of oocytes were fertilized with 50 µL of milt, activated with contaminated water at different iHg concentrations (0.0, 25, 50, 100 µg/L), and maintained that way during the first hour of incubation. Samples were taken every 3–4 h until hatching to identify embryo deformations. Fertilization and hatching rates were estimated. The survival of newly hatched larvae (1 day) and larvae eight days post-hatching (dph) was also assessed. The results show that the quality parameters of semen treated with contaminated water at different iHg concentrations (25, 50, 100 µg/L) were altered and showed significant differences (p < 0.05) from the control group (0 µg/L). Total motility decreased (9.8–13.2%) and the amount of immotile sperm increased (3-fold) relative to values in the control group. A significant increase in oocyte diameter and a decrease in fertilization and hatching rates were observed with the higher iHg concentrations (50–100 µg/L). Embryo deformations (>40%) such as scoliosis, lordosis, and microcephaly were observed, as well as premature hatchings. The larval survival at 1 dph was reduced between 25% (25 µg/L) and 97.2% (100 µg/L) relative to that in the control group. The results suggest that bocachico semen, embryos, and larvae are sensitive to contamination with iHg from 25 µg/L. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches)

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Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1401 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical Patterns and Genotoxicity of the Endocrine Disruptor Metformin in the Freshwater Fish Labeo rohita

by Ashokkumar Sibiya, Khalid A. Al-Ghanim, Marimuthu Govindarajan, Marcello Nicoletti, Nadezhda Sachivkina and Baskaralingam Vaseeharan

Fishes 2023, 8(7), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8070380 - 22 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1435

Abstract

Metformin is one of the most extensively used drugs, making it one of the most likely endocrine disruptors in the environment, which may negatively affect fish and other freshwater animals. Still, there is a dearth of studies examining metformin’s impact on freshwater creatures, like fish. This research aimed to identify the biochemical and genotoxicity effects of the endocrine disruptor metformin in the freshwater fish Labeo rohita at ecologically appropriate doses. Metformin’s toxicity was evaluated by subjecting L. rohita to the drug over 28 days at two dosages (40 µg/L to 80 µg/L). The results indicated that 40 µg/L and 80 µg/L of metformin caused an increase in reactive oxygen species and the generation of free radicals in the body of L. rohita, which in turn caused impairment and alterations in total hemoglobin, red blood corpuscles, white blood corpuscles, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl activity, respiratory burst activity, myeloperoxidase activity, and lysozyme activity. In addition, animals treated with the maximum metformin dose (80 µg/L) demonstrated substantial DNA damage in the genotoxicity experiment. Metformin’s endocrine-disrupting actions may have unintended ramifications for the well-being of aquatic species in their natural habitats. Results of the study demonstrated a serious concern that metformin exposure might be harmful to aquatic life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches)

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13 pages, 1366 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Adverse Impacts of Toxic Metal Pollutants on Sex Steroid Hormones of Siganus rivulatus (Teleostei: Siganidae) from the Red Sea

by Zaki M. Al-Hasawi

Fishes 2022, 7(6), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060367 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2734

Abstract

Toxic metal pollutants in aquatic environments negatively affect the natural characteristics of water and living organisms. Herein, 254 and 232 specimens (8–14/month) of the fish Siganus rivulatus (Teleostei: Siganidae) were caught alive during four successive seasons in the Red Sea, Egypt, from a chronically polluted bay and from an unpolluted bay, respectively. In each bay, the monthly water temperature was recorded, and the seasonal concentrations of Cd and Pb were determined in the water and in the intestine, liver, and gonads of both fish sexes. In the polluted bay, Cd and Pb were found in significantly high concentrations in the water and in the fish’s intestine, liver, and gonads, and the concentrations only significantly increased in the fish gonads during the spring (spawning season). In each bay, seasonal levels of sex steroid hormones (testosterone T, 17β-estradiol E₂, and progesterone P4) in both fish sexes were determined, and they only peaked in both sexes during the spring. In male fish, the serum levels of these hormones throughout the year were in the order T > E2 > P4, while in the females, they were in the order E2 > T > P4. Compared to those in the fish from the unpolluted bay, the levels of these hormones in the fish from the polluted bay were greatly altered. Our results strongly suggest that the serum levels of sex steroid hormones are sensitive biomarkers for detecting heavy metal pollutants in aquatic environments and their effect on fish reproduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Pollutants: Risks, Consequences, Possible Solutions and Novel Testing Approaches)

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