Cytochrome P450 Dependent Activities in Mussel and Fish from Coastal Marine Environment: Field Studies on the French Coast of the Mediterranean Sea

Persistent organic pollutants and related biological responses measured in coastal fish using chemical and biological screening methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution, levels of dioxin-like compounds (DLC), and biological responses in two fish species. The viviparous eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) was collected from various locations in the Baltic Sea and in fjords of Kattegat and Skagerrak, while shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) was obtained at the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) polluted site in North West Greenland. Significant differences were detected both in contaminant levels and relative contributions from either polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDD) or polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF or furans) and mono-ortho- and non-ortho (coplanar) polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB). Fish from the eastern Baltic Sea generally displayed higher contributions from PCDD/F compared to dl-PCB, whereas dl-PCB were generally predominated in fish from Danish, Swedish, and German sites. Levels of dl-PCB in muscle tissues were above OSPAR environmental assessment criteria (EAC) for PCB118, indicating a potential risk of adverse biological effects in the ecosystem, whereas levels of the total WHO-TEQs were below threshold for sea food suggesting limited risks for humans. No significant relationships between levels of DLC (expressed as WHO-TEQ), and biological responses such as the induction of CYP1A enzymatic activity and fry reproductive disorders were observed in eelpout. No marked relationship between WHO-TEQ and combined biological aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated transactivity (expressed as AhR-TEQ) was noted. However, there was a positive correlation between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites and induction of CYP1A activity, suggesting that PAH exhibited greater potential than DLC to produce biological effects in eelpout from the Baltic Sea.

Biomonitoring of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) pollution: a field study

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and cytochrome P450 enzyme activities were investigated in European eels (Anguilla anguilla) collected from seven sites in a coastal lagoon in the north-western Mediterranean Sea, Orbetello lagoon (Italy). Twelve PBDE congeners were measured in muscle and two CYP1A enzyme activities, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) and benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase (BP(a)PMO), were investigated in liver microsomal fraction in order to obtain insights into the health of the lagoon environment. PBDE muscle levels were low and the most abundant congeners were 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenylether (BDE-47), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexaBDE (BDE-153) and 2,2',4,5'-tetraBDE (BDE-49). EROD and B(a)PMO activities were also low and no differences were observed between eels from different sites. Multivariate analysis (PCA) did not indicate correlations between PBDEs and either P450 activities.

Rapid assessment of marine pollution using multiple biomarkers and chemical immunoassays

To fully assess the impact of pollutant releases into the environment, it is necessary to determine both the concentration of chemicals accumulating in biota and the biological effects they give rise to. Owing to time, expertise, and cost constraints, this is, however, rarely achieved. Here, quick, simple to perform, and inexpensive biomarkers and chemical immunoassays were combined in a rapid assessment approach to measure exposure to and effects of organic and metal pollutants on the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demmissa) from New Bedford Harbor, MA. Significant differences in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) tissue residue concentrations were detected among sites using RaPID immunoassay. Selected analyses were verified using GC/MS. No significant differences were observed in metal concentrations (Cu, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Ni) throughout the area. While causality cannot be attributed, multivariate canonical correlation analysis indicated that PCB and PAH concentrations were strongly associated with the induction of biomarkers of genotoxicity (micronucleus formation), immunotoxicity (spontaneous cytotoxicity), and physiological impairment (heart rate). It is concluded thatthe incorporation of chemical immunoassays with biological monitoring tools into routine management procedures is clearly viable and valuable as a means of identifying toxic impacts of pollutants on biota in situ.