Cigarette butt leachate as a risk factor to the health of freshwater bivalve

Abstract

The toxicity caused by smoking to human health has been demonstrated in several scientific studies. However, little attention has been given to damages caused to aquatic biota when cigarette butts (CB) are disposed of on water surface. Thus, the main aim of the current study is to evaluate the behavioural toxicity of cigarette butt leachates (CBL) in freshwater bivalve species Anodontites trapesialis exposed to different environmentally-relevant dilutions (CBL1x = 1.375%, CBL10x: 13.75%). There were significant CBL effects on the burrowing performance of the evaluated bivalves, after 14 exposure days. Animals exposed to CBL presented higher latency to foot emission and to start the burrowing process, as well as larger number of cycles required for burial. In addition, there were lower burrowing angle and burrowing rate index in CBL-exposed bivalves than in the unexposed ones. Chemical analyses performed on the muscle tissues of animals exposed to both CBL dilutions evidenced the bioaccumulation of several metals at high concentrations in CBL (Cr, Ni, Pb, Mn, Zn and Na); this outcome enabled associating these metals with behavioural changes observed in CBL-exposed groups. Thus, the current study firstly reports that even highly-diluted CBL concentrations can induce behavioural changes in freshwater bivalves, as well as that CBL extrapolation to natural environments can lead to several damages to the fitness of living organisms and to the dynamics of their population.