SUBLETHAL EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTAMINANTSBOUND TO DREDGED MATERIAL

摘要

During the application of a biological effects-based (BEBA) sedimentquality approach in different sediments collected around Spanish Coasts a long-termbioassay was performed using individua ls of the bottom- fish Solea senegalensis. TheBEBA uses different sediment toxicity tests to determine the sediment quality of samplescollected in coastal areas. A sublethal bioassay was included in the battery to determinethe effects associated with those concentrations of contaminants bound to the sedimentsassayed. The histological diseases measured in different tissues of the fish (gills, kidney,gut, etc.) were used to quantify the effects provoked by the contamination measured foreach of the samples tested. The frequency of the damage was used as the endpoint after1 month of exposure. The results show that the histological approach is a suitable tool todetermine the effects associated with levels of moderate contamination. The biologicaleffects were compared to the chemical concentration of the contaminants usually used inSpain for the characterization of dredging material (Cd, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Cu, Cr;S7PCBs). The ‘gray zones’ defined by this moderate contamination is a difficult issue toaddress using chemical approaches alone. The combination of these chemical techniqueswith the use of sublethal endpoints permit the evaluation of the areas of concern based onthe application of the integrative assessment as part of a BEBA approach.