Air-Water Cross-Contamination by Metalliferous Atmospheric Particulates: Bioaccumulation and Hematological...

We investigated the effects of settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SePM, 1 g L^-1, 96 h) on metal bioaccumulation and blood biomarkers of the estuarine fish Centropomus parallelus. After exposure, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ag, W, and Pb accumulated in erythrocytes, while V, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mo, and Pb were found in plasma. SePM increased erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (89.9%) and micronuclei frequency (117.6%), while decreasing neutrophils (51.6%). The erythrocyte antioxidant system responded with higher CAT and SOD activity (18.4% and 54%) to mitigate biomolecular damage, yet lipoperoxidation (162%) and protein carbonylation (97.1%) persisted in erythrocytes, along with lipoperoxidation (91.3%) in plasma. Our findings demonstrate that SePM exposure alters antioxidant defenses and hematological responses. Observed mutagenic alterations indicate damage with potential ecological implications. Blood biomarkers thus represent sensitive, non-invasive tools for biomonitoring and early detection of stress in aquatic organisms exposed to SePM.