Biomarkers of PAH exposure in oyster toadfish(Opsanis tau) from the Elizabeth River, Virginia (original) (raw)
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Bulletin of The European Association of Fish Pathologists, 2006
Field and laboratory studies indicate a strong positive association between exposure to chemical pollutants in aquatic environments and development of neoplasia in fishes. This brief communication reviews some of the more important North American and European studies that have been conducted on this relationship. We then review work conducted on a small nonmigratory estuarine cyprinodontid teleost fish, the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) in the industrialized Elizabeth River, Virginia USA. Histopathological surveys of mummichogs from variously degraded habitats indicate an association between PAH exposure and development of neoplasia. We have observed non-neoplastic lesions, preneoplasms and hepatic, biliary, exocrine pancreatic and vascular neoplasms in mummichogs inhabiting Virginia and Maryland estuaries. These lesions track a sediment PAH gradient with highest prevalence occurring in fish from PAI-I-contaminated sites in the industrialized portions of the Elizabeth River, Virginia. Liver metabolizing enzyme profiles typical of those observed in carcinogen-challenged laboratory rodents (e.g., depressed phase I enzymes, elevated phase II enzymes, elevated p-glycoprotein) provided additional support of a chemical etiology for the neoplasms occurring in these fish. Long-term laboratory exposure of mummichogs to creosote-contaminated sediments resulted in development of altered hepatocellular foci and hepatic neoplasms. Biomarkers of fish exposure and effects (e.g., CYPlA induction, bile FA C's, DNA adducts, liver histopathology) are presently used in the Puget Sound, Washington USA and Elizabeth River, Virginia USA to track long-term environmental recovery following habitat remediation.
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2002
Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analyses of bile of a territorial benthic fish, oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), indicated that fish from reference stations in the York and Elizabeth Rivers, Virginia, contained lower concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites than fish from polluted stations. PAH metabolite levels in the bile of fish from mildly polluted stations were 7 to 10 times greater than those from reference stations. PAH metabolite levels in fish from a moderately polluted station and a highly polluted station were, respectively, 20 and 50 times greater than those from reference stations. Differential patterns of five major PAH metabolites in fish from the same station suggested individual variability in metabolic pathways possibly further convoluted by the differential inductions or suppressions of hepatic mixed-function oxygenase isozyme systems under various natural or anthropogenic habitat parameters. PAH metabolite levels in the bile of oyster toadfish correlated well with the gradient of PAH contamination in the Elizabeth River sediments. High levels of biliary PAH metabolites were not detected in muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) collected along the polluted sections of the Elizabeth River, probably due to their primarily herbivorous nature. Assuming that the hepatobiliary system and the gastrointestinal tract are the major routes of biotransformation and excretion of PAHs in the muskrats, the contaminated diet appears to be a more important routes of exposure of muskrats (and possibly oyster toadfish) to PAHs than the transdermal transfer. Occurrence permitting, we propose oyster toadfish as a useful biological sentinel for early detection of estuarine PAH pollution.
Biliary 1-hydroxypyrene as a biomarker of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fish
Neuro endocrinology letters, 2008
The aim of this study was the assessment of the Svitava and Svratka rivers contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) using 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentrations in fish bile as a biomarker. Levels of 1-OHP were determined by reverse phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. For valid assessment of bile accumulation levels, the 1-OHP concentration was normalized to the biliary protein content. The content of 1-OHP was correlated with the PAH content of river bottom sediments. The highest level of 1-OHP in fish bile (136.1 ng.mg-1 protein) was found at the locality Rajhradice, which is situated downstream of Brno. Also the greatest level of sum of PAHs was found at this locality (17.1 microg.g-1 dry mass). Significant positive correlation (p< or =0.05) between the level of 1-OHP and sum of PAHs in sediment was found only in case of sediments collected in the same month as fish samples (in June). Our results document that 1-OHP in fish bile is a suitable biochemical mar...
Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2019
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cause adverse effects on ecosystems and organisms from aquatic environments due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation characteristics. Furthermore, PAH exposure in fish can induce hepatic damage and physiological/biochemical disorders. The use of biomarkers can be a useful diagnostic tool to measure the health of an ecosystem, detecting alterations in organisms that can serve as early warning indicators of pollution. The present study assesses the levels of 17 PAHs in sediments and muscle of a wild fish (Cynoscion guatucupa) from the Bahia Blanca Estuary (BBE), Argentina. The concentrations of PAHs found in fish were correlated to lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARs), the activity of metabolic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST], and lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]) in liver and muscle tissues, and the condition factor (CF) to test their usefulness as integrated biomarkers of PAH pollution in field samples. Results showed most frequency of 2-3 ring PAHs and higher concentrations of 4 ring PAHs; total PAHs ranged from 11.27 to 52.80 ng.g −1 (w.w) for fish and 37.5 to 380.5 ng.g −1 (d.w) for sediments. Total PAHs in fish positively correlated to muscle TBAR levels (p<0.05), suggesting that lipid peroxidation could be produced by the pollutants. Moreover, total PAHs in fish muscle correlated positively with muscle LDH activity (p<0.01) and negatively with liver AST and ALT activities, suggesting a shift to anaerobic metabolism under stress conditions and possible hepatic damage in C. guatucupa, respectively. The minimum CF and the maximum growing coefficient were observed with maximum concentrations of total PAHs in muscle. According to the methods and data presented, we can propose TBARs, LDH, AST/ALT, and CF as integrated early warning tools to assess PAH pollution effects in the native commercial fish Cynoscion guatucupa in South American marine environments.
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2006
In a series of bio-effect-directed fractionation experiments, we investigated the potential toxicity of sediment extracts from a contaminated bay. A previous study investigated abnormalities and hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) larvae by exposing newly fertilized eggs to the total extract and to fractions separated by degree of aromaticity. A major part of the potential toxicity was isolated in a fraction containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). In this study, we prepared a synthetic PAC mixture with 17 commonly analyzed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in amounts equimolar to those found in the sediment PAC fraction. The 17 PAHs, which included 11 of the 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) priority PAHs, were unable to account for the toxicopathic effects observed and could explain less than 4% of the total EROD induction. The lack of a clear relationship between toxicopathic effects a...
Journal of Chromatography B, 2002
An analytical method for integrated analysis of organochlorine compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in large numbers of fish liver samples has been developed using one single clean-up step. Tissues are homogenized with anhydrous sodium sulphate and Soxhlet extracted with n-hexane-dichloromethane (4:1, v / v) for 24 h. The extracts are cleaned-up and fractionated with an alumina chromatographic column allowing the separation of the extracts in two fractions. One containing most organochlorine compounds, including hexachlorobenzene, DDTs and polychlorobiphenyls, and the other the hexachlorocyclohexane isomers and PAH. These two fractions are subsequently analysed by GC-MS. Tests of repeatability result in relative standard deviations mainly under 20%. Evaluation by the standard addition method shows good linearities and recoveries.
Environmental Science & Technology, 2004
Seafloor sediments in Prince William Sound (PWS) and the eastern Gulf of Alaska (GOA) have a substantial regional hydrocarbon background from natural sources including oil seeps and eroding sedimentary rocks along the eastern GOA coast. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from that background appear to be bioavailable to fish. Fish collected from PWS and the GOA in a 1999--2000 biomarker study (bile fluorescent aromatic contaminants and liver ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase) show evidence of exposure to low levels of PAH at all categories of sites sampled. Seafloor sediments at fish sampling sites in the GOA east of PWS and at three PWS site categories (nonspill path, spill path oiled, and spill path not oiled) contain hydrocarbons from four principal sources: regional background, combustion products, residues from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), and Monterey (CA) petroleum residues. GOA sediments between PWS and Yakutat Bay, approximately 350 km to the east, are dominated by regional petrogenic background hydrocarbons (total PAH (TPAH) range approximately 60-3400 ng/g) that are the probable cause of low biomarker levels measured in halibut from this area. PWS sediments contain varying proportions of regional background, combustion products, Monterey residues, and EVOS residues at some spill path sites. Rockfish caught in PWS embayments in 1999 have liver EROD activities that correlate positively with the pyrogenic PAH indicator ratio (FI+Py)/C24Ph. Although traces (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;5-100 ng/g TPAH) of EVOS residues were detected in seafloor sediments at some nearshore spill path sites, biomarker levels in fish from those sites are not elevated relative to other sites in PWS.
Environmental Pollution, 2018
Biomarkers of antioxidant and biotransformation systems are commonly used to assess polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pollution in fish. Despite their extensive application of biomarkers, contradictory results are vastly reported in the literature, even for the same species in similar contamination scenarios. This study aims to verify response patterns of biomarkers in fish exposed to PAHs. Through systematic reviews and meta-analyses, we were able to evaluate: (i) overall magnitude of PAHs effects on biotransformation and oxidative stress biomarkers; (ii) patterns of response among experimental approaches (laboratory, field and active biomonitoring), environment (marine and freshwater) and fish habitat (pelagic, demersal, etc.); (iii) effects of exposure route, time and concentration of PAHs; and (iv) which biomarkers respond best to PAHs exposure. Overall, biomarker responses were significantly affected by PAHs exposure. The activities of ethoxyresorufin-Odeethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and lipid peroxide (LPO) significantly increased in fish exposed to PAHs, whereas catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) were not affected. Amongst responsive biomarkers, EROD and GST activities significantly differed among approaches and between marine and freshwater environments, but were not affected by fish habitat. GSSG levels were higher in fish from laboratory bioassays compared to the field, but did not differ between environments nor habitats. Exposure route played a major role only for GST and GPx responses. Finally, increasing PAHs concentration and exposure time had a significant effect on all assessed biomarkers, except for CAT. We conclude that EROD and GST are robust biomarkers to assess PAHs effects in fish. Contrarily, CAT is an inadequate biomarker of PAHs exposure since no significant response was observed. Our study also highlighted some research gaps in PAHs contamination studies, such as a clear lack of active biomonitoring experiments.
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2002
Six metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were identi5ed and quanti5ed from the bile of 31 common eels (Anguilla anguilla), 29 European 6ounders (Pleuronectes flesus), and 15 conger eels (Conger conger) collected from the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel during 1997. The bile metabolites were deconjugated by enzymatic hydrolysis and separated by reverse-phase HPLC with 6uorescence detection. The major metabolite present in all 5sh was 1-hydroxy pyrene (75+94% of all metabolites detected) with lower proportions of 1-hydroxy chrysene (2+15%) and 1-hydroxy phenanthrene (2+8%), and small amounts of three benzo[a]pyrene derivatives ((3%). Metabolite concentrations (normalized to biliverdin content) were signi5cantly higher in common eels than in the other two species and tended to be higher in all species at the beginning of the year than at the end. The data con5rm the importance of 1-hydroxy pyrene as the key PAH metabolite in 5sh bile and suggest that the common eel is an ideal species for monitoring PAHs in estuarine environments.
International Journal of Environmental Research, 2018
Quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Bahía Blanca Estuary (BBE, Argentina) fish samples (Ramnogaster arcuata) was performed to evaluate the environmental impact through anthropogenic activity. In addition, several metabolic enzyme activities (Aspartate aminotransferase-AST, Alanine aminotransferase-ALT, Lactate dehydrogenase-LDH, Creatine kinase-CK and, Alkaline phosphatase-ALP), protein content and lipid peroxidation as oxidative stress biomarker were analyzed in muscle and liver and related to tisular PAHs levels. Results showed low to moderate PAHs levels in R. arcuata muscle (9.34-41.25 ng/g, wet weight) with a marked predominance of two/three ringed compounds (phenanthrene > naphthalene > acenaphthene > acenaphthylene > fluoranthene). Fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo-[b]fluoranthene and benzo-[a]pyrene concentrations correlated positively with hepatic AST and ALT and negatively with muscular proteins and hepatic lipid peroxidation. 2-metil-naphthalene and acenaphthene levels correlated negatively with LDH in muscle and positively with lipid peroxidation in liver tissue. Correlation of PAHs with metabolic enzymes, proteins and lipid peroxidation indicated a differential metabolization and suggesting that hepatic AST/ALT could be used as PAHs biotransformation biomarkers and muscular LDH as a stress oxidation biomarker in R. arcuata. In addition, CK activity was suggested as a good index of muscular health. The obtained results highlighted the significance of using a set of integrated biomarkers to assess PAHs toxicity in fish inhabiting their natural ambient and confirm that R. arcuata could be used as a good bioindicator for marine areas. Article Highlights • Ramogaster arcuata is proposed as a bioindicator. • AST and ALT serve as biomarkers of PAHs-induced liver biotransformation. • Muscular LDH in R. arcuata was in relation to LPO induced by PAHs. • CK in muscle could be used to verify the muscular health status of fishes.