Bioaccumulation and oxidative stress biomarkers in Procambarus clarkii exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of gadolinium

Paolo Pastorino
1*
Alessandra Maganza
1,2
Francesca Provenza
3
Camilla Mossotto
1,2
Serena Anselmi
3
Alice Gabetti
1
Giuseppe Esposito
1
Monia Renzi
4
Caterina Faggio
5
Antonia Concetta Elia
2
Marino Prearo
1
1
, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, Torino, - 10154, Italy
2
Dipartimento di Chimica, Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, Perugia, - 06123, Italy
3
, Bioscience Research Center, Via Giovanni Velasco 14, Orbetello, - 58015, Italy
4
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, Trieste, - 34127, Italy
5
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Biologiche, Farmaceutiche ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 31, Messina, - 98166, Italy

Gadolinium (Gd), a rare earth element extensively utilized in medical imaging and industrial applications, is increasingly present in aquatic ecosystems. This study investigates tissue-specific accumulation and antioxidant responses in Procambarus clarkii after 14-day exposure to environmentally relevant Gd concentrations (0.1, 1, 10, and 100 µg/L). Gd accumulation occurred in the gills and hepatopancreas at higher concentrations (10 and 100 µg/L), while levels in muscle remained below quantifiable limits. Antioxidant responses varied across tissues, and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed no consistent pattern, indicating limited activation likely linked to low tissue burdens and brief exposure. However, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity significantly increased in the gills and hepatopancreas at higher Gd concentrations. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity showed inconsistent trends, while glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was elevated in hepatppancreas and muscle only at 0.1 μg/L. Lipid peroxidation was most pronounced in the gills. The Integrative Biomarker Response-Threshold (IBR-T) index indicated low-dose effects consistent with hormesis, reflecting biologically relevant changes at minimal Gd concentrations. Overall, P. clarkii exhibited tissue-dependent Gd accumulation and oxidative responses, though biomarker activation patterns were inconsistent.

L’ecotossicologia tra regolamentazione e nuove sfide per la sostenibilità ambientale
Copyright © 2026 S.IT.E. - Italian Society of Ecology
picture