Toxicity of a chromium-enriched superfood, Spirulina platensis, assessed by taxonomic and morpho-functional diversity of marine meiofauna. (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Essid, Naceur; Gharbi, Rifka; Harrath, Abdel Halim; Mansour, Lamjed; Mahmoudi, Ezzeddine; Beyrem, Hamouda; Ansari, Kapuli Gani Mohamed Thameemul; Boufahja, Fehmi
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 262(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: Bioassay -- Meiobenthic nematodes -- Spirulina platensis -- Chromium -- Taxonomic diversity -- Morpho-functional diversity; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114350
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: A laboratory bioassay was conducted to investigate the ecotoxicity of a chromium-enriched superfood, Spirulina platensis, on the meiofauna collected from the Ghar El Melh lagoon, Tunisia. After 1 month of exposure, the abundances of meiobenthic taxa and the taxonomic and morpho-functional diversity of nematodes showed significant differences between the Spirulina and Spirulina + chromium groups. The nematodes were more tolerant of all types of stressors compared to harpacticoids, polychaetes, and oligochaetes, and the lowest taxonomic and morpho-functional diversity of nematodes was observed in the highest sedimentary concentration of S. platensis (50% DW). The mixed treatments may have been richer in micro-habitats and subject to low selective pressure, thereby hosting nematodes with a wide range of adaptations. The responses of the nematode species differed depending on their functional traits. Spirulina enriched with chromium induced two responses for the same feeding group: high toxicity for Daptonema fallax and low toxicity for two Theristus species ( T. flevensis and T. modicus ). The ecotoxicity of the Spirulina /chromium mixtures were lower than that of Spirulina alone, suggesting mutual neutralization between these two elements. The association between functional traits and taxonomic diversity showed that the effects of the mixtures were not additive and that one of the stressors camouflaged the effect of the other. Our findings should encourage the commercialization of chromium-enriched S. platensis owing to its lower ecotoxicity than Spirulina alone. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Nematodes were the most tolerant taxon versus Spirulina, alone or with chromium. Spirulina enriched with chromium induced high toxicity for Daptonema fallax. Spirulina enriched with chromium induced low toxicity for Theristus species. Chromium-enriched Spirulina showed lower ecotoxicity than Spirulina alone.