Assessing the impacts of mining activities on fish health in Northern Québec

Anthony Fontaine (1, 2) , Mackenzie Anne Clifford Martyniuk (1) , Camille Garnier (1) , Patrice Couture (1)

1 INRS - Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique [Québec]
2 IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux

For several decades, Northern Québec has been exploited by mining companies for its mineral resources, yet, research documenting the effects of toxic stress on fish health in subarctic environments remains limited. In this study, one lake directly affected by mining activities in the Schefferville area, two lakes close to mining facilities in the Fermont and Schefferville areas, and one reference lake were sampled for water, sediment, and fish. Our results suggest that manganese bioaccumulation induced an oxidative stress in Catostominæ, as demonstrated by the positive relationships between manganese concentrations and catalase (CAT) activity and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentrations, as well as the negative relationship with glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (both CAT and GPx activities being biomarkers of antioxidant capacities and 8-OHdG an indicator of deoxyribonucleic acid oxidative damage). Similarly, selenium bioaccumulation was positively correlated with 8-OHdG concentrations in Salmoninæ. These results suggest a prooxidant role of excess selenium and manganese, and highlight the interspecific variability of fish responses to contaminated areas around historical and current iron ore mining operations.

Mots clés: Northern fish; metal contamination; oxidative stress; Fermont; Schefferville

Domaines: Ecotoxicologie

Anthony Fontaine, Mackenzie Anne Clifford Martyniuk, Camille Garnier, Patrice Couture. Assessing the impacts of mining activities on fish health in Northern Québec. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2023, 80 (5), pp.771-794. ⟨10.1139/cjfas-2022-0200⟩. ⟨hal-04576828⟩