Is the Doce River elutriate or its water toxic to Astyanax lacustris (Teleostei: Characidae) three years after the Samarco mining dam collapse?

In 2015, after the Fundão dam failure, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, around 50 million cubic meters of sludge from iron mining tailings were discharged into the Doce River. After the dam collapse, surpassing concentrations of metals were observed in the river sediment, which could be harmful to aquatic organisms, including the fishes. The present study aimed to evaluate the toxic effects of both elutriate and water, collected from the Doce River, on Astyanax lacustris three years after the dam failure. A bioassay was carried out through subchronic exposure to Doce River water (E0) and three elutriate concentrations (10, 50 and 100%). Biochemical analyses (CAT, GST, AChE), metal bioaccumulation assays and calculation of the integrated biomarker response index, version 2 (IBRv2) were performed. The outcomes uncovered deleterious consequences on organisms exposed to E0, with AChE inhibition and bioaccumulation of Fe and Mn in both liver and gills. IBRv2 values were more elevated in fishes exposed to E0 for all tissues. Thus, the elutriate was not harmful for the assessed fishes, since complexing agents presented in the sediment, such as goethite and hematite, may have triggered metals' chelation. In this scenario, the elutriate may have acted as a protective agent for the subjected organisms, unlike the Doce River waters, in which contaminants were proven to be hazardous for the aquatic biota.