Intra Cellular Biotransformation Mechanisms for the Assessment of Anthropogenic Ecosystem Disturbances by the Use of Different Rooted Aquatic Macrophy

In the present investigation, the evaluation of changes in water quality, increasing pollution level, of a section of Suquia River basin (Cordoba, Argentina) and a section of Spree River basin (Berlin, Germany) by using Myriophyllum quitense and Myriophyllum spicatum as bioindicators in addition to the measurement of chemical parameters, combined with multivariate statistical analysis (ANOVA, Cluster and Discriminant Analysis) is reported. Water and sediment quality were evaluated throughout the transplantation experiment, while the use of these macrophytes as bioindicators were verified through the activation of their antioxidant defenses and biotransformation systems. Myriophyllum quitense and Myriophyllum spicatum are reacting to the pollution stress increasing the activity of glutathione-S-transferases (CDNB and Fluorodifen), glutathione reductase (GR) and peroxidase (POD). Elevated enzyme activities agreed to different pollution levels, especially inorganic nitrogen loads combined with elevated lead and aluminum concentrations, all of them originated by anthropogenic activities, thus presenting Myriophyllum quitense and Myriophyllum spicatum as a good biomonitors for assessment of water quality in their corresponding polluted aquatic ecosystem. The sole effect of the suspected parameters obtained from the field experiments, were verified via laboratory experiments using M. mattogrossense as test organism in order to confirm the correlation of the antioxidant and biotransformation responses of the utilized biomonitoring organisms. Furthermore, the effect of ammonium as trigger for oxidative stress is discussed proposing a feasible explanation for ammonium toxicity.