Assessment and validation for amphipods epibentonics for use in toxicity testing

• Grant number: 11/15924-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Augusto Cesar
• Grantee: Marina Cunha Passarelli
• Host Institution: Diretoria de Pós-Graduação, Pesquisa e Extensão. Universidade Santa Cecília (UNISANTA). Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The sediment quality assessment is very important to the environmental management because this compartment constitutes substrate for many aquatic organisms and accumulates xenobiotics in concentrations above those found in the water column. Amphipods are among the most sensitive taxonomic groups and are therefore considered excellent test organisms to evaluate the toxicity of sediments. However, among the species of marine amphipods Tiburonela viscana only standard is native the Brazilian ecosytems. In the sense, this proposal seeks to evaluate the feasibility of cultivation and application of epibenthic amphipod Hyale youngi in order to validate this species as test organisms in toxicity tests. First, wiil be assessed tolerance of the species (H. youngi) to natural abiotic factors, in the order to determine the great conditions for survival and thus a correct interpretation of biological responses. The sensitivity of the species will be conducted experiments with reference toxic substances: as cadmium chloride (CdCl2,), sodium dodecyl sulfate (C12H25NaO4S), ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO4). For validation the application of the test-organism will be held environment tests on samples from four sampling sites located in the estuary of Santos, whose contamination and toxicity are known and monitored. The results of this study will contribute to establishment of other effective methods for evaluation of toxicity in marine and estuarine ecosystems.