Are we neglecting earth while conquering space? Effects of aluminized solid rocket fuel combustion on the physiology of a tropical freshwater invertebrate
Rivera-Ingraham, Georgina A. | Andrade, Madalena | Vigouroux, Regis | Solé, Montserrat | Brokordt, Katherina | Lignot, Jehan-Hervé | Freitas, Rosa
Space launchers often use aluminized-solid fuel (“propergol”) as propellant and its combustion releases tons of Al₂O₃ and HCl that sink in terrestrial and aquatic environments, polluting and decreasing water pH. We studied the impact of these events on the biochemical/physiological performance of the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium jelskii, with wild specimens collected from a non-impacted site in French Guiana. In the laboratory, shrimps were exposed for one week to: i) undisturbed conditions; ii) Al₂O₃ exposure (0.5 mg L⁻¹) at normal pH (6.6); iii) decreased pH (4.5) (mimicking HCl release in the environment) with no Al₂O₃; or iv) Al₂O₃ 0.5 mg L⁻¹ and pH 4.5, representing the average conditions found in the water bodies around the Ariane 5 launch pad. Results showed that shrimps bioaccumulated aluminium (Al) regardless of water pH. The combined effect of Al₂O₃ and low pH caused the most impact: acetylcholinesterase and carboxylesterase activities decreased, indicating neurotoxicity and reduced detoxification capacity, respectively. Animal respiration was enhanced with Al₂O₃ and pH variations alone, but the synergic interaction of both stressors caused respiration to decrease, suggesting metabolic depression. Oxidative damage followed a similar pattern to respiration rates across conditions, suggesting free radical-mediation in Al toxicity. Antioxidant activities varied among enzymes, with glutathione reductase being the most impacted by Al₂O₃ exposure. This study shows the importance of addressing space ports’ impact on the environment, setting the bases for selecting the most appropriate biomarkers for future monitoring programs using a widespread and sensitive crustacean in the context of an increasing space-oriented activity across the world.
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