Entre a proteção e a ameaça: efeitos da exposição ao filtro UV Oxibenzona no peixe donzela (Stegastes Fuscus)

Abstract

Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3 or BP-3) is one of the most commonly used ultraviolet filters in the manufacturing of personal care products, such as sunscreens, as well as in the plastic, food, and textile industries. Due to its widespread use across various industrial sectors, this compound continuously enters aquatic environments, particularly reef environments, either directly or indirectly, where it can undergo bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes in aquatic biota. Studies have demonstrated the deleterious effects of BP-3 exposure on various aquatic organisms, especially fish. However, few studies have focused on understanding how oxybenzone impacts reef fish, which are daily affected by continuous releases of this pollutant. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the toxicological effects of BP-3 ingestion on the damselfish Stegastes fuscus. For this purpose, animals were exposed to BP-3 through their diet and were evaluated using a multi-level approach, encompassing behavioral, cognitive, and physiological responses. After 30 days of exposure, we assessed the consequences of BP-3 on health indicators (growth rate and hepatosomatic index), risk-taking behaviors, anxiety-like behaviors, and aggression, as well as its effects on the enzymatic activity of the antioxidant defense system and neurotoxicity biomarkers in the brain and liver (CAT, GST, LDH, and AChE; Chapter 1). In a subsequent exposure to the compound after 60 days, we investigated the effects of BP-3 on motivation using a detour behavior test, assessing the pollutant's impact on damselfish motivation (Chapter 2). Overall, animals exposed to BP-3 exhibited impairments in health indicators, locomotion, and risk-taking behavior. Additionally, there were alterations in enzymatic activity, with significant variations observed among the tissues analyzed. Regarding cognition, no effects of BP-3 on animal motivation were observed during the detour test. Understanding the effects of UV filters, especially BP-3, is crucial not only to assess their environmental and health impacts but also to guide management policies and develop safer and more sustainable alternatives for sun protection and other industrial applications