Toxic effects of tetrabromobisphenol A exposure on transitional water bivalve (Cerastoderma edule)

Abstract

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is an emerging contaminant that has been detected in water bodies around the world and has adverse effects on aquatic biota. The toxic effect of the compound on the biota has recently been studied by ecotoxicology. In this project, acute and chronic ecotoxicity tests were carried out with two invertebrates native to Brazil, the oligochaete Allonais inaequalis and the microcrustacean Ceriodaphnia silvestrii, in order to evaluate the potential effects that the exposure of TBBPA alone and in mixture with polyethylene PM can cause in the species . Given the opportunity to study TBBPA and its adverse effects on the aquatic biota of transitional waters in the region of Aveiro, Portugal, under the guidance of Professor Patrícia Pereira, an abroad research scholarship is proposed. Analyzes of parameters associated with oxidative stress (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as parameters of lipid damage) and alterations in the DNA of the species Cerastoderma edule, known as cockles, will be carried out in different concentrations of TBBPA. The experimental design comprises a 7-day exposure period, with daily renewal of the toxicant, followed by a 14-day post-exposure period in clean water. It is expected to answer whether TBBPA concentrations close to those found in nature harm the condition of the organism, and it is also expected that new techniques and analyzes within ecotoxicology will be learned, so that they can eventually be applied in studies with Brazilian species cultivated in the laboratory.