Overview of ecotoxicological studies performed in the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

This work reports on the state of the art of the bioindicators used to assess environmental quality (regarding chemical pollutant impacts) in the Venice lagoon. After a brief description of the roles, advantages and limitations of bioindicators in marine and transitional environments and a summary of the Venice lagoon characteristics, the ecotoxicological methods used during scientific studies and research projects in the Lagoon are reported. Since not all data are available and no database can be formulated, the main evidence from toxicity bioassays, biomarkers and bioaccumulation analyses since the end of the 1970s is spatially synthesized using maps and discussed according to the four Venice lagoon basins. The majority of indicators showed that the Lido basin (north-central lagoon), affected by the presence of the industrial area and the city of Venice, is the one most highly impacted (particularly in the sites located within or in front of the industrial area, which showed very high sediment toxicity and high levels of DNA damage). The Malamocco basin (south-central lagoon) seems to be the least problematic. The southern basin (Chioggia basin) was shown to be impacted by urban contaminants from the town of Chioggia. The northern basin (Treporti basin) presented both impacted sites (high toxicity and high bioaccumulation factor) and relatively unpolluted sites (absence of toxicity, absence of imposex and low levels of bioaccumulation). This review can serve as a basis on which to select pragmatic, cost-effective biomonitoring techniques for environmental effects in lagoon ecosystems.