article · Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Environmental stressors such as pesticide residues can trigger biochemical changes in aquatic organisms, altering cellular processes and tissue structures. An assessment across six sites in Lake Qarun evaluated pesticide contamination and its effects on two fish species, Solea aegyptiaca and Oreochromis niloticus. The investigation detected elevated levels of persistent organic pollutants, organochlorines, organophosphates, and pyrethroids across spatio-temporal data. Measured concentrations correlated directly with pesticide accumulation in fish gills and muscles, originating from agricultural runoff and municipal effluents. An integrated multi-biomarker approach revealed notably heightened activities of cellular biomarkers, specifically CYP-450, GST, GSH, and LDH, in fish blood and liver tissues. Variations in species sensitivity confirmed that Nile tilapia functions effectively as a highly sensitive bioindicator, validating this biomarker framework for routine aquatic biomonitoring in exposed environments.
Pesticides and persistent organic pollutants from agricultural runoff and municipal waste degrade aquatic habitats and accumulate in wildlife. Using biochemical biomarkers alongside bioindicator species like Nile tilapia enables early, sensitive detection of environmental degradation before irreversible ecosystem damage occurs. This diagnostic strategy provides vital data to help regulatory authorities enforce existing water quality protections and safeguard freshwater fisheries from chemical pollution.
The findings support the development of biomonitoring protocols and environmental diagnostic toolkits for water resource managers, environmental protection agencies, and commercial aquaculture operators. By establishing specific enzyme biomarker thresholds in Nile tilapia, the approach provides an applied monitoring method tested under realistic field conditions. However, translation into standardised commercial assays or routine regulatory testing services remains at an early to intermediate stage of operational development.
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The mechanism by which an organism can adapt to subtle environmental changes is predicated on modifications to biochemical processes within the cellular metabolism in response to such changes. Changes in these processes have the potential to induce alterations in cellular structures and tissue organization, as well as establish a causal link between fluctuations in these parameters and stressors exposure. This investigation's main goal and innovation is to evaluate the environmental stress indicators in the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Qarun. Pesticide residues in freshwater fish should be the primary focus of evaluation of environmental stressor concentrations, since they serve as bioindicators at different times and places on a spatiotemporal scale. A thorough analysis of suggestive biochemical biomarker reactions should also be conducted. The effects of environmental stressors, specifically pesticide contamination in Qarun Lake, have been observed and investigated in relation to two fish species: Solea aejabtiaca and Oreochronis niloticus. The results of a hazard assessment conducted at six sampling sites using spatio-temporal data revealed elevated mean values for the pesticides, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), organochlorines, organophosphates, and pyrethroids that were detected. A multi biomarker approach facilitates a more comprehensive understanding of stress responses induced by exposure to pollutants. As a result, the activities of the biochemical biomarkers CYP-450, GST, GSH, and LDH in the blood and liver of fish samples were found to be notably elevated. The suitability of the identified variables for biomonitoring of aquatic pollution was validated, and the data unveiled variations in sensitivity among species, implying that Nile tilapia could potentially function as a bioindicator with high sensitivity. The findings were correlated with the concentrations of detrimental organochlorines, organophosphorus, and pyrethroids in the muscles and gills. The data indicates that pollutants linked to agricultural wastes, runoff, and municipal effluent may be discharged into the lake ecosystem. Consequently, to safeguard the environment, it is essential to enforce and implement policies, acts, and regulations that already exist. Assessing the effects of additional environmental stressors on aquatic ecosystems is another way in which biomarker screening with an integrative approach improves our comprehension of how toxicants impact various levels of biological organization and is particularly useful in realistic environmental exposure scenarios.
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DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02226-6
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