Development of a simple method of Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) of marine sediments using a benthic organism (Nitokra sp.)

• Grant number: 15/00030-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2015
• End date: May 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Brasil Choueri
• Grantee: Aline Vecchio Alves
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Traditionally, in sediment quality assessment, the co-occurrence of contamination and toxic response in the same sample has been judged - often precipitately - as a cause-and-consequence phenomenon. The methods Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (TIE) combine toxicity testing and simple chemical manipulations in order to selectively change the toxicity of specific classes of contaminants in a sample, enabling the identification of the substance (s) responsible for the toxicity observed. Recent publication has been addressing the development and application of TIE for assessing marine sediments. Although this is an important tool for environmental quality assessment, no standard protocols are available. The standardt assay using sea urchin embryo-larvae development as the endpoint (ABNT 15350/2012) is commonly used for evaluation of interstitial water toxicity. However, benthic organisms may be more suitable for TIE evaluations focused on sediments, because such organisms are better adapted to the natural conditions of the benthic habitat, which minimizes cases of false positives. The aim of this study is to identify the contaminants responsible for the toxicity of the sediments (interstitial water) collected in the Santos estuarine system (SP), by employing toxicity tests with Nitokra.sp compared to the standard sea-urchin embryo-larvae development assay. This study has the main goal of establishing a simple and practical protocol of TIE to the identification of substances that cause toxicity in interstitial water using a benthic organism. These results will also give a more accurate diagnosis of the culprit contaminants in this area, defining what are the contaminants that pose risk to biota. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALVES, ALINE VECCHIO; FERRAZ, MARIANA ALICEDA; MORENO, BEATRIZ BARBOSA; NOBRE, CAIO RODRIGUES; ANTUNES, RENATA MEDEIROS; PUSCEDDU, FABIO HERMES; BORDON, ISABELLA CRISTINA DA COSTA LEAL; FAVARO, DEBORAH INES TEIXEIRA; COTRIM, MARYCEL ELENA BARBOSA; CHOUERI, RODRIGO BRASIL. icroscale Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) for interstitial water of estuarine sediments affected by multiple sources of pollutio. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 29, n. 7, SEP 2021. (15/00030-2)

FERRAZ, MARIANA ALICEDA; ALVES, ALINE VECCHIO; CHOUERI, RODRIGO BRASIL. A TIE Approach to Identify Substances Causing Sediment Pore Water Toxicity After a Major Fire at Fuel Storage Tanks in the Port of Santos (SE, Brazil). Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, v. 107, n. 1, SI, p. 62-68, JUL 2021. (15/00030-2)

FERRAZ, MARIANA ALICEDA; ALVES, ALINE VECCHIO; MUNIZ, CYNTHIA DE CASSIA; PUSCEDDU, FABIO HERMES; GUSSO-CHOUERI, PALOMA KACHEL; SANTOS, ALDO RAMOS; CHOUERI, RODRIGO BRASIL. SEDIMENT TOXICITY IDENTIFICATION EVALUATION (TIE PHASES I AND II) BASED ON MICROSCALE BIOASSAYS FOR DIAGNOSING CAUSES OF TOXICITY IN COASTAL AREAS AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC SEWAGE. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, v. 36, n. 7, p. 1820-1832, JUL 2017. (15/00030-2)