Resumo: Objetivo Comunidades de água doce respondem a mudanças abióticas e bióticas no meio ambiente, sendo amplamente utilizadas como indicadores de integridade ambiental. Os peixes têm sido um dos grupos biológicos mais utilizados para esse fim. O riacho Del Azul, localizado na região pampeana da Argentina, tem sido monitorado até agora usando uma abordagem físico-química, sendo esse monitoramento esporádico devido a restrições econômicas e operacionais associadas às análises químicas. Neste artigo, desenvolvemos um Índice de Integridade Biótica para o riacho Del Azul (IBIA) com base no Índice de Integridade Biótica de Karr como uma alternativa. Métodos Calculamos dois índices físico-químicos existentes para comparação, sendo um deles o NSF-WQI e o outro um índice local referido como Índice de Qualidade da Água para o Riacho Del Azul que é baseado no primeiro. Resultados Os três índices mostraram tendências semelhantes ao longo dos trechos examinados, detectando boas condições no trecho superior da bacia, condições mínimas no final da área urbana e recuperação em direção ao trecho inferior da bacia. Conclusões Como o IBIA segue os mesmos padrões dos índices fisicoquímicos, tem menor custo de implantação e é mais simples de aplicar, o promovemos como alternativa ao tradicional monitoramento fisico-químico da qualidade da água para riachos pampeanos.

Abstract: Aim Freshwater communities respond to abiotic and biotic changes in the environment, and are widely used as indicators of environmental integrity. Fish have been one of the most used biological groups for this purpose. The Del Azul stream located in the pampean region of Argentina has been monitored using a physicochemical approach with this monitoring being sporadic due to economic and operational constraints associated with the chemical analyses. In this paper we developed an Index of Biotic Integrity for the Del Azul stream (IBIA) based on Karr´s Index of Biotic Integrity as an alternative. Methods We computed two existent physicochemical indexes for comparison, one of them is the NSF-WQI and the other one is a local index referred to as Water Quality Index for Del Azul Stream and based on the former. Results The three indexes followed similar trends along the examined reaches, showing good conditions in the upper basin, poor conditions just downstream of the urban area and a recovery state further downstream in the basin. Conclusions Since the IBIA followed the same patterns as the physicochemical indexes, has a lower implementation cost and it is simpler to apply, we promote it as an alternative to the traditional physicochemical water quality monitoring for pampean streams.

We evaluated the importance of the daily consumption of water by ingestion on health risk assessment (HRA) from pollutants present in shallow groundwater from residential wells in the city of Azul, Argentina. The probabilistic cumulative risk was calculated based on the model of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for four age groups (5, 10, 15 years and adults). The results were compared by applying a daily consumption of water by estimated intake frequently used in the literature against a local ingested amount. From the six variables used (Concentration of the hazardous substance in water, Daily water intake (I), Frequency of exposure, Duration of exposure, Body weight of the exposed individual, Correction factor for the average time of chronic exposure), I was the most influential variable in the value of risk, presenting significant differences between the results derived from both types of I. The highest difference was in the 5 years of age, a group that presented an accumulated risk associated with local I 98% lower regarding the risk calculated using I based on the literature. The selection of I had a significant impact on risk outcomes, suggesting a careful choice of input variables to the risk assessment model to avoid underestimation or overestimation.

Se evaluó la importancia del consumo diario de agua por ingesta en la evaluación de riesgo a la salud humana (ERS) de contaminantes presentes en agua subterránea de pozos domiciliarios en la ciudad de Azul, Argentina. El riesgo probabilístico acumulativo se calculó en base al modelo de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (USEPA) para cuatro grupos de edad (5, 10, 15 años y adultos). Los resultados fueron comparados mediante la aplicación de un consumo diario de agua por ingesta estimado utilizado con frecuencia en la literatura frente a una cantidad ingerida local. De las seis variables usadas (Concentración de la sustancia peligrosa en el agua; Ingesta diaria de agua (I); Frecuencia de exposición; Duración de la exposición; Peso corporal del individuo expuesto; Factor de corrección para el tiempo promedio de exposición crónica), la Ifue la variable más influyente en el valor del riesgo presentando diferencias significativas entre los resultados derivados de ambos tipos de I. La diferencia más alta fue en los 5 años de edad, grupo que presentó un riesgo acumulado asociado con I local 98% más bajo respecto del riesgo calculado utilizando I basada en la literatura. La selección de la I tuvo un impacto significativo en los resultados del riesgo, lo que sugiere una cuidadosa elección de las variables de entrada al modelo de la evaluación del riesgo para evitar subestimaciones o sobreestimaciones.

The response of the midgut gland of Artemesia longinaris to salinity changes was evaluated by analyzing its histological changes. Animals were exposed gradually and abruptly to 33, 29, 25 and 16 psu for different time intervals and readapted to 33 psu for 30 days. Individuals maintained 10 days at 16 psu showed the lowest survival and presented histopathologies which were not present in those readapted to 33 psu. Shrimps abruptly transferred from 33 to 16 psu died in 3-5 h but did not show midgut gland alterations likely due to the brief exposure. Only shrimps abruptly transferred from 33 to 25 psu presented histopathologies after 96 h. When readapted to 33 psu for 30 days, the midgut gland recovered an unaltered structure. Except E-cells, which did not vary in height among treatments, F, R and B-cells were taller in animals gradually adapted to 29 than to 16 psu. Abrupt salinity changes had a significant effect on the mean height of F, R and B-cells of those animals transferred from 33 to 25 psu (from 24 to 96 h after transfer F and R-cells heights decreased, and from 96 to 144 h after transfer B-cells height increased). Our study shows the effect of osmotic stress at the tissue level on the midgut gland and, at least partially, explains the reason for the mortalities at low salinities.

Se evaluó la respuesta del hepatopáncreas de Artemesia longinaris a los cambios de salinidad. Los animales fueron expuestos gradual y abruptamente a 33, 29, 25 y 16 psu durante distintos intervalos y readaptados a 33 psu por 30 días. Los individuos gradualmente adaptados a 16 psu tuvieron baja supervivencia y presentaron alteraciones histológicas ausentes en los readaptados a 33 psu. Aquellos transferidos repentinamente de 33 a 16 psu murieron en 3-5 h pero no mostraron alteraciones, posiblemente debido a la breve exposición. Sólo los transferidos repentinamente de 33 a 25 psu por más de 96 h presentaron daño tisular. Cuando se readaptaron a 33 psu durante 30 días, el hepatopáncreas mostró una estructura normal. Exceptuando las células E que no variaron en altura entre tratamientos, las F, R y B fueron más altas en los animales gradualmente adaptados de 33 a 29 psu. Los cambios súbitos de salinidad tuvieron un efecto significativo en la altura media de las células F, R y B solamente en animales transferidos de 33 a 25 psu (24 a 96 h después de la transferencia disminuyó la altura de las células F y R, y 96 a 144 h después hubo un aumento en la altura de las células B). El presente estudio muestra el efecto de los cambios de salinidad sobre el hepatopáncreas y explica, al menos parcialmente, la razón de la mortalidad a bajas salinidades.