Durali Danabas

Use of acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 1A1 in Capoeta umbla as biomarkers for monitoring of pollution in Uzuncayir Dam Lake (Tunceli, Turkey)

Uzuncayir Dam Lake is one of the most important water bodies in Tunceli. It is polluted by domestic wastewaters together with natural contamination and pesticides, which have had cumulatively negative effects. This study analyzes the effects of pollution by using the fish species, Capoeta umbla as a sentinel species, with a biomarker approach. The approach comprehends a general biomarker of individual fish health, the condition factor and specific biomarkers of contaminant exposure such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The general water physico-chemical parameters were measured at each sampling sites during each fish-sampling period. Strong seasonal and locational variations were observed among selected markers. In conclusion, the multibiomarker approach used in the present study clearly revealed differences in the fish health among reference and potentially contaminated sites. The study shows that changes of biomarkers such as acetylcholinesterase, glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 1A1 might be useful for the assessment of environmental contamination in the Uzuncayir Dam Lake (Tunceli, Turkey).

Temporal Changes in Concentrations of Some Trace Elements in Muscle Tissue of Crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823), from Keban Dam Lake

Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) is the native crayfish species in Turkey. It was exported regularly to Western Europe. In this study, bioaccumulation and temporal trends of some trace elements (arsenic: As, cadmium: Cd, copper: Cu, mercury: Hg, lead: Pb, and zinc: Zn) in edible abdomen muscle of crayfish from Keban Dam Lake (Elazığ, Turkey) were investigated for the 2006–2012 period. Sequence of metal concentration levels was Zn > Cu > Hg > Pb > Cd > As in muscle tissues. The highest concentration of Zn (21.69 mg kg−1) was detected in 2006, while the lowest (4.35 mg kg−1) in 2009. In general, it was found that the concentrations of trace elements investigated were lower than the maximum permissible limits of the food regulations of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock (MFAL), the Turkish Food Codex and Commission Regulation (EC). If the crayfish selected for the study are recognized as bioindicators of environmental pollution, then it is possible to conclude that the changes in studied trace elements concentrations in the Keban Dam Lake are being steady.

Biochemical impacts of the textile dyes Remazol Brillant Blue R and Congo Red on the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus (Decapoda, Astacidae)

In this study, we determined the effects of the textile dyes Remazol Brillant Blue R (RBBR) and Congo Red (CR) on the enzymatic activities of Glutathione S-Transferase (GST), cytochrome P450 (CYP1A1) and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in hepatopancreas of Astacus leptodactylus . The crayfishes were exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/l of RBBR or CR, for 24 and 48 h. The recorded GST activity clearly increased after 24 or 48 h exposure to CR, compared to a control group (p 0.05). The activity of CYP1A1 generally decreased, but LDH activity increased in the groups exposed to different doses of CR and RBBR, when compared to their control groups. Detoxification enzymes (as GST, and CYP1A1) and metabolic enzymes (as LDH) can be proven to make useful markers for further evaluating the physiological effects of CR and RBBR on crayfish.