A Systematic Review on the Use of Amoeba proteus (Pal.) as Bioindicators for Environmental Health Monitoring

The growing demand for effective environmental health monitoring has spurred research into bioindicators that can provide reliable insights into ecosystem health. This systematic review evaluates the potential of Amoeba proteus (Pal.) as a bioindicator for detecting environmental contaminants, with a particular focus on freshwater systems. Through a comprehensive examination of existing literature, the review highlights the organism's sensitivity to a variety of pollutants, including heavy metals and organic contaminants, as well as other environmental stressors. The findings underscore the advantages of employing Amoeba proteus for cost-effective and sensitive environmental monitoring, demonstrated by its ability to exhibit observable morphological and behavioral changes in response to different contaminants. However, certain limitations are acknowledged, such as its restricted applicability to specific aquatic environments and varying sensitivity to particular pollutants. Despite these challenges, the review concludes that Amoeba proteus holds considerable promise as an integral component of a multi- bioindicator framework for early detection of pollution. Future research should aim to integrate amoeba-based assessments with complementary chemical and biological markers to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of environmental health surveillance.