Bioaccumulation of PCBs in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus: seawater and food exposures to a 14C-radiolabelled congener (PCB#153)

Abstract

Adult Paracentrotus lividus were exposed to a 14 C-labelled PCB congener (PCB#153) using two different exposure modes: (1) the surrounding sea water and (2) the food (viz. the phanerogam Posidonia oceanica and the brown alga Taonia atomaria). Uptake kinetics from water and loss kinetics after single feeding were followed in four body compartments of the sea urchins (body wall, spines, gut and gonads). Results indicate that PCB bioaccumulation in P. lividus varies from one body compartment to another, with the exposure mode and the nature of the food. The echinoids accumulate PCB#153 more efficiently when exposed via water than via the food (the transfer efficiency is higher by one order of magnitude). Target body compartments of PCB#153 were found to be body wall and spines when individuals were exposed via water, and gut when they were exposed via food. It is concluded that P. lividus is an efficient bioaccumulator of PCB and that it could be considered as an interesting indicator for monitoring PCB contamination in the marine environment.CAPSULE: PCB bioaccumulation in a common mediterranean sea urchin

Assessment of the individual and mixture toxicity of cadmium, copper and oxytetracycline, on the embryo-larval development of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

“…It has been frequently used as a bioindicator of early biological effects of pollutants including trace metals (Saco-Alvarez et al 2010), pesticides (Pesando et al 2004), and hydrocarbons (Rial et al 2013). Several arguments justified their use as a preferred animal model in toxicology including their sedentary, benthic lifestyle, availability all the year, wide geographical distribution, well-known biology, and high bioaccumulation of chemical contaminants (Danis et al 2005;Pétinay et al 2009). …”

Silver nanoparticles and dissolved silver activate contrasting immune responses and stress‐induced heat shock protein expression in sea urchin

“…In the present experiments, a 24‐h period seems to have been a steady‐state time for Ag to decrease or rise and a crucial period for immune reaction. With the sea urchin P. lividus , it has been shown that organic contaminants from seawater are easily bioaccumulated and that body wall and spines were the main targets . It can be hypothesized that the integument of juveniles clearly arose as a favored site for rapid ionic Ag uptake.…”

Uptake of radiolabeled 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrachlorobiphenyl into Japanese quail egg compartments and embryo following air cell and albumen injection

“…Few studies have used radiolabeled congeners to assess uptake or transfer; with little focus on birds [39,[78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85]. Previously, uptake and transfer of PCBs to egg components has been limited to yolk injections in chickens [60,68,71].…”