Diurnal activity patterns as a sensitive behavioural outcome in fish: effect of short-term exposure to treated sewage and a sub-lethal PPCP mixture (original) (raw)
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Pollutants and fish predator/prey behavior: A review of laboratory and field approaches
Current Zoology, 2012
Fish behavior can be altered by contaminants. There is an extensive literature on laboratory behavioral assays, with many chemicals impairing feeding or predator avoidance. However, there is not extensive work on fishes that live in contaminated environments. Therefore, we then review our recent research on feeding and trophic relations of populations from contaminated estuaries compared with relatively unpolluted sites. The mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus, is a non-migratory fish; those from more contaminated areas are poor predators and slower to capture active prey (grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio). In the field, they consume much detritus and sediment, which is not nutritious. They are less active than fish from cleaner sites and more vulnerable to predation. They have altered thyroid glands and neurotransmitter levels, which may underlie altered behaviors. Fish from the reference site kept in tanks with sediment and food from the polluted site showed bioaccumulation and reduce...
Science of The Total Environment, 2012
Data are presented on the concentrations of alkylphenol and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and persistent organic compounds in largemouth bass collected from a waste-water dominated stream in downtown Chicago. The fish residue concentrations of APEs are compared to concentrations of the APEs in the water that were collected at weekly intervals over two months bracketing the fall (2006) and a spring (2007) fish collection. The concentrations of APEs were significantly higher in the spring-collected fish (5.42 μg/g) versus the fall (0.99 μg/g) tand these differences were shared by differences in the water concentrations (spring-11.47 versus fall-3.44 μg/L). The differences in water concentration were negatively correlated with water temperatures observed over the two sampling times. Fish residue concentrations of persistent organic compounds (PCBs, PBDEs, toxaphene, and many legacy pesticides including the DDT family) did not vary from fall to spring. Some of these residue concentrations were comparable to the highest NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate) homologue concentrations, e.g. NP1EO was 3.5 μg/g in the bass for the spring, the PBDE-congener 47 and p,p′-DDE averaged 1.0 μg/g and 0.5 μg/g, respectively, over both seasons. All the other persistent single-analyte concentrations were lower. Biological endpoints for endocrine effects measured in the same fish showed that there was an apparent positive correlation for physiological effects based on increased vitellogenin levels in males versus concentration of NPEs; however there were no observable histological differences in fall versus spring fish samples.
Environmental …, 1992
A suite of chemical andbiochemicalparameters was measuredin three species of benthic flatfish (English sole, Parophrys vetulus; rock sole, Lepidopsetta bilineata; and starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus)sampled from up to five sites in Puget Sound, WA, USA, to assess the sensitivity of the parameters to differences in levels of contaminant exposure and the relative merit of the use of a suite of indices for assessing exposure and sublethal effects. The indices examined were hepatic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and biliary fluorescent aromatic-compound concentrations, hepatic activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, and levels of total hepatic GSH and hydrophobic DNA-xenobiotic adducts; the lastmentioned were determined by using the 32p-postlabeling assay. The results showed that the indices examined could discriminate among sites exhibiting different degrees of chemical contamination; however, species differences in the range of response of some indices were observed. Additionally, the use of multiple indices appeared to enhance the assessment of contaminant exposure and sublethal effects.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are widely prescribed for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Consequently, these compounds are frequently identified in global waterways where they may pose a hazard to aquatic biota. Evidence demonstrates these compounds to be capable of influencing the behaviour of fish, but the relevance of many reported behavioural endpoints is unclear and the value of some findings has been questioned. Since these compounds act on neuroendocrine-mediated pathways in vertebrates, the present study explored how exposure to two representative SSRIs (fluoxetine and sertraline) and an SNRI (venlafaxine) affect circadian rhythms in fish. Male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) were exposed to 1, 10 and 100 g/L concentrations of these compounds individually and when present as a full mixture, for a period of one week. Neither fluoxetine nor sertraline had an impact on diurnal activity patterns when fish were exposed to these compounds alone at any concentration, whereas venlafaxine significantly disrupted normal circadian rhythmicity but only at 100 g/L. When fish were exposed to the full mixture, significantly altered diurnal activity patterns were rapidly observed at nominal concentrations of 1 and 100 g/L, but there was no effect at 10 g/L. This sort of non-monotonic dose relationship is not altogether unusual for fish exposed to antidepressants, but it poses a problem when attempting to evaluate potential risks to the aquatic environment. To evaluate the possibility for misinterpretation when collecting behavioural data over short temporal scales, the data for each day of the experiment was analysed separately. The outcomes demonstrate the importance of longer periods of data collection, which may be necessary to capture the full range of natural behavioural variability that exists both amongst and within individual fish. More importantly, these findings may help reveal why discrepancies are commonly being reported in the literature with regards behavioural effects in fish exposed to antidepressants. It is thus suggested that research be aimed at documenting behavioural variability in fish species used in toxicity testing, to establish guidelines for quality control and where possible inform the development of stan-dardised methodologies so that behavioural analysis can be more appropriately applied to the broad field of aquatic toxicology.
Marine Environmental …, 1993
A suite of chemical andbiochemicalparameters was measuredin three species of benthic flatfish (English sole, Parophrys vetulus; rock sole, Lepidopsetta bilineata; and starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus)sampled from up to five sites in Puget Sound, WA, USA, to assess the sensitivity of the parameters to differences in levels of contaminant exposure and the relative merit of the use of a suite of indices for assessing exposure and sublethal effects. The indices examined were hepatic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and biliary fluorescent aromatic-compound concentrations, hepatic activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, and levels of total hepatic GSH and hydrophobic DNA-xenobiotic adducts; the lastmentioned were determined by using the 32p-postlabeling assay. The results showed that the indices examined could discriminate among sites exhibiting different degrees of chemical contamination; however, species differences in the range of response of some indices were observed. Additionally, the use of multiple indices appeared to enhance the assessment of contaminant exposure and sublethal effects.
Proximity to wastewater effluent alters behaviour in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis machrochirus)
Behaviour, 2019
Wastewater from municipal, agricultural and industrial sources is a pervasive contaminant of aquatic environments worldwide. Most studies that have investigated the negative impacts of wastewater on organisms have taken place in a laboratory. Here, we tested whether fish behaviour is altered by exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of wastewater effluent in the field. We caged bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) for 28 days at two sites downstream (adjacent to and 870 m) from a wastewater treatment plant and at a reference site without wastewater inputs. We found that exposed fish had a dampened response to simulated predation compared to unexposed fish, suggesting that fish may be at greater risk of predation after exposure to wastewater effluent. Fish held at the different sites did not differ in activity and exploration. Our results suggest that predator avoidance may be impaired in fish exposed to wastewater effluent, which could have detrimental implications fo...
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2022
Eco-toxicity profiles for commonly used disinfectants were lacking. Available traditional toxicity techniques have some limitations (assessments and ethical issues). Behaviour toxicology is a promising research area towards early warning and non-invasive approaches. We studied the potential eco-toxic effects of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) on the swimming behaviour of zebrafish. Zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations (Treatment I, Treatment II, Treatment III, and Treatment IV) of NaOCl for 360 h. Recovery study (144 h) was conducted for NaOCl treatment groups. The swimming behaviour of zebrafish was quantified efficiently using an online monitoring system (OMS). OMS dataset was processed for determination of behavioural differences by MATLAB and SPSS. Compared to the control group, the swimming strength of zebrafish under NaOCl treatments declined significantly (p < 0.001). Avoidance behaviour has occurred on zebrafish under NaOCl exposure periods. Furthermore, NaOCl toxicity also adjusted circadian rhythms on zebrafish. Zebrafish swimming strength was significantly (p < 0.001) improved under-recovery periods. Moreover, normal diurnal patterns have occurred. NaOCl could cause behavioural abnormalities in non-target organisms. Continuous exposure to common disinfectants could cause external and internal stress on non-target organisms, resulting in behavioural changes and circadian rhythm adjustments. Continuous changes in behavioural and circadian rhythms might reduce organisms' fitness and adaptation capacity. This study highlights (1) the importance of computer-based toxicity assessments, and (2) swimming behaviour is an early warning biomarker for eco-toxicity studies.
Aquatic Toxicology, 2017
Treated effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are a significant source of anthropogenic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, in the aquatic environment. Although our understanding of how wastewater effluent impacts fish reproduction is growing, we know very little about how effluent affects non-reproductive physiology and behaviours associated with fitness (such as aggression and activity). To better understand how fish cope with chronic exposure to wastewater effluent in the wild, we caged round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) for three weeks at different distances from a wastewater outflow. We evaluated the effects of this exposure on fish survival, behaviour, metabolism, and respiratory traits. Fish caged inside the WWTP and close to the outfall experienced higher mortality than fish from the reference site. Interestingly, those fish that survived the exposure performed similarly to fish caged at the reference site in tests of aggressive behaviour, startle-responses, and dispersal. Moreover, the fish near WWTP outflow displayed similar resting metabolism (O 2 consumption rates), hypoxia tolerance, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, and blood-oxygen binding affinities as the fish from the more distant reference site. We discuss our findings in relation to exposure site water quality, concentrations of pharmaceutical and personal care product pollutants, and our test species tolerance.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2011
Fish live in waters of contaminant flux. In three urban, fish-bearing waterways of British Columbia, Canada, we found the active ingredients of WeedEx 1 , KillEx 1 , and Roundup 1 herbicide formulations (2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, and mecoprop) at low to high ng/L concentrations (0.26 to 309 ng/L) in routine conditions, i.e., no rain for at least one week. Following rain, these concentrations increased by an average of eightfold, suggesting runoff as a major route of herbicide introduction in these waterways. To determine whether fish might be able to limit point-source exposures through sensory-driven behaviors, we introduced pulses of representative herbicide mixtures to individual adult zebrafish (a model species) in flow-through tanks. Fish did the opposite of limit exposure; they chose to spend more time in pulses of herbicide mixtures representative of those that may occur with rain events. This attraction response was not altered by a previous 4-d exposure to lower concentrations of the mixtures, suggesting fish will not learn from previous exposures. However, previous exposures did alter an attraction response to an amino acid prevalent in food (L-alanine). The present study demonstrates that fish living within urban waterways may elect to place themselves in herbicide-contaminated environments and that these exposures may alter their behavioral responses to cues necessary for survival.