POLUIÇÃO DE SOLOS DA BEIRA DE ESTRADA EFETA A HOMEOSTASE REDOS E COLINESTERÁSICA DE CUPINS Cornitermes cumulans (KOLLAR, 1832)

Abstract

It is known that roadside soils end up being a deposit of various residues discarded by drivers or passengers, as well as from rainwater runoff. However, so far, we do not know the impacts that this pollution causes on animals that inhabit these environments. Thus, our objective was to evaluate how the presence of plastic microfibers (MPFs), organic compounds and heavy metals affect the redox and cholinesterase homeostasis of adults of Cornitermes cumulans (workers). For this purpose, soil samples from termite mounds from three different areas (ASTC – area without car traffic influence, AEC: dirt road area and ARA: asphalt road area) were collected, as well as individuals of C. cumulans. We evidenced that MPFs were present in samples from all sampled areas, being higher in ARA. However, this was not a determining factor for the biochemical changes observed. Regardless of the presence of these pollutants, ARA animals were those in which we observed greater production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) (via nitrite), whose higher activity of superoxide dismutase enzymes (SOD) and catalase (CAT) was not enough to counterbalance the oxidative stress inferred by the evaluated biomarkers. Furthermore, we observed an increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels in these same animals, which suggests a cholinesterase effect. Such alterations were positively correlated with the contamination of soil samples by Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe and Cu, as well as with the presence of the compound 11,10-guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid, identified only in the soils of ARA. Therefore, our pioneering study reveals that roadside soils contamination constitutes an additional environmental stressor to C. cumulans populations that use these environments to build their nests, which reinforces the need for greater attention to be given to the pollution of these environments.