TY  - JOUR
T1  - Toxicity of Cobalt and Lead on Tubifex tubifex: Study on Lethal Effect and Changes in Antioxidants (Glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase)
AU  - S. Farman, Khansaa
AU  - Ghulam, Israa Naser
PY  - 2025
DA  - April
Y2  - 2025
DO  - 10.28978/nesciences.1633065
JF  - Natural and Engineering Sciences
JO  - NESciences
PB  - Cemal TURAN
WT  - DergiPark
SN  - 2458-8989
SP  - 110
EP  - 119
VL  - 10
IS  - 1
LA  - en
AB  - The study aimed to assess the lethal and sublethal toxicity effects of heavy metals, Cobalt (Co) and Lead (Pb), on Aquatic oligochaete Tubifex tubifex, which is an essential environmental indicator. Experiments indicated that the median lethal concentration (LC50) was 998.2 mg/L for Co and 207.5 mg/L for Pb after 48 h of exposure, reproducing the higher toxicity of Pb compared to Co. The study also detected the effect of exposure to sublethal concentrations (680 mg/L for Co and 95 mg/L for Pb) over 7 and 14 days. The results showed a significant reduction in the activity of antioxidants. For Cobalt, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased from 98 U/mg on day 7 to 73 U/mg on day 14, while the concentration of glutathione (GSH) decreased from 20 μg/mL to 13 μg/mL. Upon exposure to lead, SOD activity decreased from 95 U/mg on day 7 to 68 U/mg on day 14, and GSH concentration declined from 18 μg/ml to 8 μg/ml. These results highlight the crucial role of antioxidants in counteracting oxidative stress induced by heavy metals, making them real biomarkers for monitoring environmental pollution. The study highlights the serious need to develop sustainable environmental strategies to reduce the effect of these pollutants on aquatic ecosystems.
KW  - Tubifex tubifex
KW  - sublethal toxicity
KW  - lethal toxicity
KW  - antioxidants
KW  - SOD
KW  - GSH
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UR  - https://doi.org/10.28978/nesciences.1633065
L1  - https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/4579104
ER  -