Environmental contaminants and biochemical responses in flatfish from the Hvaler Archipelago in Norway

Abstract

The levels of several environmental contaminants, including selected polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), organochlorines (DDT/DDE, hexachlorobenzene), 15 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDF/PCDD), and heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, and As) were analyzed in muscle and liver of three different flatfish species (dab, Limanda limanda; flounder, Platichthys flesus; plaice, Pleuronectes platessa) caught by gill netting at different sites in the Hvaler Archipelago. Indices of biochemical effects in liver S9-fractions were studied by measuring cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase and UDP-glucuronyl transferase activities, and by immunoquantitating cytochrome P450 1A1 using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Only low levels of PCDD/PCDF, Cd, and Pb were observed, whereas PCB levels were significantly elevated in fish from the inner sites of the Archipelago compared to a reference site. The contaminant gradient toward the Glomma estuary was correlated with increased cytochrome P450 1A1 activity, measured as 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), and with immunoquantitated P450 1A1. In contrast, fish from the site at Idefjorden, although containing elevated contaminant levels, did not show elevated EROD activity, but apparently elevated P450 1A1 protein. These findings may reflect different pollution histories of the sites, and indicate the applicability of biochemical effect indices (i.e., EROD and P450 1A1 immunoquantitation) to monitoring studies. The integrated chemical-biochemical approach employed in this study can obviously be expanded to give fruitful information about cause-effect relationships in other contaminant situations.

Effects of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene on growth and haematological parameters in Korean rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli (Hilgendorf)

“…In case of CF, there was no statistically significant difference between different exposure levels or different exposure durations. These two different morphological parameters examined in this study, HSI and CF, are often determined in field research, respectively, to identify possible liver damages and to assess the health conditions of fish (Bagenal & Tesch 1978; Goksøyr, Husøy, Larsen, Klungsøyr, Wilhelmsen, Maage, Brevik, Andersson, Celander, Pesonen & Förlin 1991).…”

Histopathological and ultramicroscopical changes in gill, liver and kidney of Anabas testudineus (Bloch) after chronic intoxication of almix (metsulfuron methyl 10.1%+chlorimuron ethyl 10.1%) herbicide

“…Fish, among them recognised as excellent experimental model for toxicological studies because they are presumably the best studied organisms in the aquatic environment and their large mobility allow to assess large scale regional effect and also due to their importance to man as a protein source. Actually, they are the final recipient of these pollutants either through respiration or by ingestion of smaller species as well as through direct contact with skin and finally absorbed into the bloodstream (Goksoyr et al, 1991;van der Oost et al, 2003). They are continuously exposed to a complex variety of xenobiotic compounds and provide early warning for pollution-induced environmental changes in the aquatic environment (Powers, 1989).…”

Bile Metabolites of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Three Species of Fish from the Severn Estuary

“…A few studies have investigated variations in bile metabolite concentrations over time (Lin et al, 1994;Eggens et al, 1996) but most have involved sampling "sh for a limited period of a few weeks (Goks+yr et al, 1991;BritvicH et al, 1993;Brumley et al, 1998;Pointet and Milliet, 2000).…”