Assessing neurological and cardiovascular effects caused by pharmaceuticals in river water: Insights from Daphnia magna and Danio rerio embryos
Pharmaceutical residues in surface waters are an emerging environmental and public health issue, yet their biological impacts on aquatic life remain poorly understood. This study presents a cost-effective bioanalytical framework using Daphnia magna juveniles and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to ev...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/394391 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/394391 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105009051730 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Zebrafish Daphnia magna Environmental risk assessment Neurotoxic Pharmaceuticals Wastewater http://metadata.un.org/sdg/9 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/14 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/3 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/11 http://metadata.un.org/sdg/6 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development |
| Sumario: | Pharmaceutical residues in surface waters are an emerging environmental and public health issue, yet their biological impacts on aquatic life remain poorly understood. This study presents a cost-effective bioanalytical framework using Daphnia magna juveniles and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos to evaluate neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects of pharmaceutical mixtures in rivers downstream of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Water samples from three rivers in north-eastern Spain (Besòs, Llobregat, and Onyar) were concentrated up to 5- and 20-fold using solid-phase extraction. Bioassays were conducted over 24 h for D. magna and five days for zebrafish embryos. Eighty pharmaceutical compounds were quantified via HPLC-MS and linked with phenotypic endpoints including locomotion, feeding, heart rate, neurotransmitter profiles, and metabolomic alterations. Of the 28 concentrated extracts, four were acutely toxic to zebrafish embryos. Altered behavioral and cardiovascular responses were observed in 22.2 % (D. magna) and 35.1 % (D. rerio) of extracts, primarily at higher enrichment. Concentrations of 31 pharmaceuticals were statistically associated with observed effects. Neuroactive drugs such as topiramate, rasagiline, citalopram, and fluvoxamine showed strong correlations with altered neurotransmitter levels in zebrafish, consistent with their known mechanisms. Seven additional compounds with secondary neuroactive properties were linked to similar neurological disruptions. Seventeen pharmaceuticals were associated with disturbances in amino acid metabolism and urea cycle pathways, indicating broader metabolic dysregulation. Overall, nearly 75 % of river extracts showed no observable effect, but several samples were acutely toxic or induced sublethal neurobehavioral and metabolic responses. These findings support the utility of D. magna and zebrafish (D. rerio) embryos as sensitive and complementary biosentinels for monitoring pharmaceutical pollution and highlight zebrafish as a relevant model for studying environmentally driven neurotoxicity with potential human health implications. |
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