Abstracts
Abstract
Chemical pollution of surface waters represents a major challenge in Africa, particularly in urban and industrialized areas. The use of biomarkers to monitor this pollution appears to be an effective approach for assessing water quality and its impacts on aquatic ecosystems. This literature review aims to enhance knowledge on the application of biomarkers in monitoring chemical pollutants, particularly emerging pharmaceutical compounds (EPCs) and heavy metals in Africa. An analysis of 50 scientific articles published between 2010 and 2025 was conducted. The results show that biomarkers can detect the effects of chemical pollutants on aquatic organisms. An increase in enzymatic activity was observed in fish exposed to contaminants, reflecting a biological response to chemical stress. Furthermore, oxidative stress biomarkers prove particularly useful for assessing the impact of pollution by measuring free radicals and antioxidants in fish tissues. The integration of biomarkers into chemical pollution monitoring in Africa is a powerful tool for assessing water quality and the impact of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. This data provides a solid foundation for guiding future research and strengthening water quality management policies at the continental level.
Keywords:
- biomonitoring,
- biomarkers,
- chemical pollution,
- surface waters,
- Africa
Résumé
La pollution chimique des eaux de surface représente un défi majeur en Afrique, notamment dans les zones urbaines et industrialisées. L’utilisation des biomarqueurs pour surveiller cette pollution apparaît comme une approche efficace pour évaluer la qualité de l’eau et ses impacts sur les écosystèmes aquatiques. Cette revue de littérature vise à renforcer les connaissances sur l’application des biomarqueurs dans le suivi des polluants chimiques particulièrement des composés pharmaceutiques émergents (CPE) et des métaux lourds en Afrique. Une analyse de 50 articles scientifiques publiés entre 2010 et 2025 a été réalisée. Les résultats montrent que les biomarqueurs permettent de détecter les effets des polluants chimiques sur les organismes aquatiques. Une augmentation de l’activité enzymatique a été observée chez les poissons exposés aux contaminants, traduisant une réponse biologique au stress chimique. De plus, les biomarqueurs de stress oxydatif se révèlent particulièrement utiles pour évaluer l’impact de la pollution en mesurant les radicaux libres et les antioxydants dans les tissus des poissons. L’intégration des biomarqueurs dans le suivi de la pollution chimique en Afrique constitue un outil puissant pour évaluer la qualité des eaux et les conséquences des activités humaines sur les écosystèmes aquatiques. Ces données fournissent des bases solides pour orienter les recherches futures et renforcer les politiques de gestion de la qualité de l’eau à l’échelle continentale.
Mots-clés :
- Biosurveillance,
- biomarqueurs,
- pollution chimique,
- eaux de surface,
- Afrique
Appendices
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