Since it has been demonstrated that urban effluents can have adverse effects on aquatic organisms, a multibiomarker study was used to evaluate the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents discharged into the marine and freshwater environments on clams in Cádiz, Spain. One bioassay was performed in the Bay of Cádiz, exposing Ruditapes philippinarum (marine) to a reference site as well as two sites close to WWTP discharges for 14 days. A second bioassay was performed in the Guadalete River, exposing Corbicula fluminea (fresh water) to three sites for 21 days. The biomarkers analysed included defence mechanisms and various toxic effects. Results indicated that WWTP effluents activated defence mechanisms and induced toxic effects in clams exposed to both environments, thus indicating bioavailability of contaminants present in water. Elevated enzymatic activity was found in clams deployed in La Puntilla and El Trocadero compared to control clams and those exposed to the reference site, and 96% of clams deployed at G2 in the Guadalete River died before day 7. Clams exposed to G1 and G3 indicated significant differences in all biomarkers analysed with respect to control clams (p < 0.05). Both species were sensitive to contaminants present in studied sites. This is the first time that these species were used in cages to assess the environmental risk of wastewater effluent discharges in freshwater and marine column environments. The multibiomarker approach provided important ecotoxicological information and is useful for the assessment of the bioavailability and effect of contaminants from WWTP effluents on marine and fresh water invertebrates.

中文翻译：

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一种多生物标志物方法，用于评估污水处理厂废水的毒性作用和激活的海洋（菲律宾蛤仔（Ruditapes philippinarum））和淡水（Corbicula fluminea）双壳类物种的防御机制。

由于已经证明城市污水会对水生生物产生不利影响，因此采用了多种生物标志物研究来评估排入海洋和淡水环境的废水处理厂（WWTP）污水对西班牙加的斯市蛤的影响。在加的斯湾进行了一项生物测定，将菲律宾Ruditapes philippinarum（海洋）暴露于参考地点以及靠近污水处理厂排放的两个地点，持续14天。在瓜达莱特河进行了第二次生物测定，将Corbicula fluminea（淡水）暴露于三个地点21天。分析的生物标志物包括防御机制和各种毒性作用。结果表明，污水处理厂的污水在暴露于两种环境的蛤中均能激活防御机制并引起毒性作用，从而表明水中污染物的生物利用度。与对照蛤和暴露于参考部位的蛤相比，在拉蓬蒂利亚和埃特罗卡德罗部署的蛤中发现了较高的酶活性，在瓜达莱特河G2部署的蛤中有96％在第7天之前死亡。与对照蛤相比，所有生物标记物均具有显着差异（p <0.05）。两种物种都对研究地点中存在的污染物敏感。这是第一次将这些物种用于笼子中，以评估淡水和海洋柱环境中废水排放的环境风险。多种生物标志物方法提供了重要的生态毒理学信息，可用于评估污水处理厂污水对海洋和淡水无脊椎动物的生物利用度和污染物的影响。