Chironomus Riparius Exposure to Field-Collected Contaminated Sediments: from Subcellular Effect to Whole-Organism Response

The toxicity of three field-collected sediments differentially contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals, phtalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), was assessed in Chironomus riparius. For this purpose, C. riparius larvae were exposed throughout their entire life cycle to sediments collected in three sites along the Saulx river in France, and the toxic effects were measured at different levels of biological organization: from the molecular (lipidomic analysis and transcriptional variations) to the whole organism response (respiration rate, shape markers and emergence rate). In the sediment characterized by an intermediate level of contamination with PAHs and phtalates, we detected an increase of the cell stress response and delayed emergence of males. In the group exposed to the most contaminated sediment with PAHs, phtalates and pesticides, genes related to endocrine pathways, cell stress response and biotransformation processes were overexpressed, while female wing shape was affected. Field-collected sediment exposure did not induce significant effects on mentum shape markers or on the lipid profile. The present study provides new insights into the multilevel effects of differentially contaminated sediments in insects. This integrative approach will certainly contribute to improved assessment of the risk that complex mixtures of pollutants pose to the aquatic ecosystem.