Assessment and monitoring of water quality of the gulf of Morbihan, a littoral ecosystem under high anthropic pressure

Mar Pollut Bull. 2017 Nov 15;124(1):74-81. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.07.003. Epub 2017 Jul 10.

Abstract

This field study is intended to propose a global methodology to assess and monitor the water quality of the gulf of Morbihan, a littoral ecosystem under increasing anthropic pressure. To this end, the Locmariaquer site, where Crassostrea gigas is extensively cultivated, was selected to perform a one-year follow-up of tissular glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase specific activities in this filter feeder organism. Calculation of an integrated index, corresponding to the ratio of the two enzymes activities, allowed to discriminate from the environmental noise, several clusters which could be representative environmental stress, potentially latent pollution. Moreover, the estrogenic activity was assessed in water samples collected at Locmariaquer and other strategic sites of the gulf. The results evidenced a low estrogenic-disrupting compound contamination of waters. Overall, this methodology produced an accurate outlook of a basal state for the gulf and could be developed in the context of a chronic monitoring of this site.

Keywords: Crassostrea gigas; Enzyme response index; Estrogenic endocrine disruptors; Gulf of Morbihan; Littoral water monitoring.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholinesterase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Crassostrea / drug effects*
  • Crassostrea / enzymology
  • Crassostrea / metabolism
  • Endocrine Disruptors / adverse effects*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • France
  • Glutathione Transferase / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / drug effects
  • Water Quality*

Substances

  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Glutathione Transferase
  • Acetylcholinesterase