Assessing the oxidative stress induced by paracetamol spiked in artificial sediment on hyalella azteca

Paracetamol is an antipyretic analgesic widely used globally. It has been recurrently found in water bodies and is known to elicit toxic effects in aquatic species; however, its potential ability to induce oxidative stress in sentinel species remains unknown The objective was to establish a methodology to evaluate the toxicity elicited on the sentinel species Hyalella azteca by paracetamol-enriched sediment using oxidative stress tests. Concentrations used in assays were determined using the previously obtained median lethal concentration (72 h LC ₅₀). The following oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated: lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyl content (PCC) in order to determine oxidized protein content, and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). LPO and PCC increased significantly while SOD, CAT, and GPX decreased significantly (p<0.05) with respect to controls. Paracetamol induces oxidative stress on H. azteca, and the set of tests employed is helpful in evaluating the toxicity of this group of pharmaceuticals on aquatic species.