Do Freshwater and Marine Bivalves Differ in Their Response to Wildfire Ash? Effects on the Antioxidant Defense System and Metal Body Burden

Fátima Jesus, Filipa Mesquita, Elisa Virumbrales Aldama, Ana Marques, Ana M. M. Gonçalves (), Luísa Magalhães, António J. A. Nogueira, Ana Ré, Isabel Campos, Joana Luísa Pereira, Fernando J. M. Gonçalves, Nelson Abrantes and Dalila Serpa
Additional contact information
Fátima Jesus: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Filipa Mesquita: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Elisa Virumbrales Aldama: Faculty of Veterinary and Experimental Sciences, Catholic University of Valencia, Calle Guillem de Castro 94, 46001 Valencia, Spain
Ana Marques: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Ana M. M. Gonçalves: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Luísa Magalhães: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
António J. A. Nogueira: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Ana Ré: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Isabel Campos: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Joana Luísa Pereira: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Fernando J. M. Gonçalves: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Nelson Abrantes: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Dalila Serpa: CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: Wildfires constitute a source of contamination to both freshwater and marine ecosystems. This study aimed to compare the antioxidant defense response of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea and the marine cockle ( Cerastoderma edule ) to wildfire ash exposure and the concomitant metal body burden. Organisms were exposed to different concentrations (0%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 100%) of aqueous extracts of Eucalypt ash (AEAs) from a moderate-to-high severity wildfire. The activity of various enzymes, as well as lipid peroxidation, protein content, and metal body burden, were determined after 96 h of exposure. A significant increase in the protein content of soft tissues was observed for C. edule at AEA concentrations ≥ 25%, unlike for C. fluminea . Similarly, significant effects on lipid peroxidation were observed for cockles, but not for clams. For both species, a significant effect in the total glutathione peroxidase activity was observed at AEA concentrations ≥ 25%. Relative to the control, AEAs-exposed clams showed higher Cd content, whereas AEAs-exposed cockles showed higher Cu content, thus exhibiting different responses to the exposure to wildfire ash. The susceptibility of bivalves to ashes, at environmentally relevant concentrations, raises concern about the effects of post-fire runoff to bivalve species.

Keywords: oxidative stress; wildfire ash; enzymes activity; metal body burden; filter-feeders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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