Functional, biochemical and molecular impact of sediment plumes from deep-sea mining on Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Pinheiro, M (Author) Other; Oliveira, A (Author) Other; Barros, S (Author) Other; Alves, N (Author) Other; Raimundo, J (Author) Other; Caetano, M (Author) Other; Coimbra, J (Author) Other; Neuparth, T (Author) Other; Santos, MM (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Environmental Research

Vol. 195

ISSN: 0013-9351

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 16 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-E3C

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110753

Abstract (EN): The deep-sea is the biggest ecosystem in the world and despite the extreme conditions that characterize it, is highly biodiverse and complex. Deep-sea mining has been foreseen as a potential and concerning new stressor, and among the deep-sea mining associated stressors, sediment plumes, likely to be released into the water column as a side effect of mining, can reach habitats within a radius of more than a hundred kilometers. The present study examined the effects of suspended sediments of different grain sizes (63-125 mu m, 125-250 mu m and 250-500 mu m) in the model species Mytilus galloprovincialis, at 4 bar, as a proxy to address the potential effects of sediment plumes, in the water column, with different grain sizes under high pressure conditions. Functional (filtration rate - FR), biochemical (catalase - CAT, glutathione s-transferase - GST, lipid peroxidation - LPO) and molecular (gene expression of [actin (ACTN), glutathione S-transferase alpha (GSTA), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), cytochrome c oxidase (COI) and DNA mismatch repair protein (MSH6)]) endpoints were studied in juvenile organisms. The FR decreased significantly for all tested grain size ranges, with a more severe effect for the particles with a diameter between 63 and 125 mu m. In addition to the FR, significant changes were also observed for all tested biomarkers. Gene expression was significantly downregulated for CAT and ACTN. Overall, this study demonstrated that the smaller sized particles are the ones leading to more severe effects. Given their high dispersion potential and longer suspension periods under mining operation scenarios, particular attention should be given to the release of sediment plumes that may affect deep-sea environments and the water column. It is, therefore, vital to create standards and guidelines for sustainable mining practices.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8