Determining the Exposure Pathway and Impacts of Microcystis on Threadfin Shad, Dorosoma petenense, in San Francisco Estuary.

Blooms of the cyanobacterium Microcystis spp. could affect fish health through the ingestion of colonies as well as exposure to dissolved microcystins in the water column. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the dietary exposure pathway through which Microcystis spp. blooms may affect liver function and nutritional status using a novel approach involving multiple analytical methods to assess the potential risk. Our study was conducted using threadfin shad, Dorosoma petenense, which is a pelagic fish commonly exposed to Microcystis spp. blooms in the upper San Francisco Estuary. The approach incorporated published and optimized methods that offer multiple lines of evidence including in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, histopathology, condition factor indices, and nutritional profiles. Measurements of threadfin shad health and tissue condition were conducted at sites where Microcystis was present or absent during the 2007 bloom season. The results showed that dietary exposure to fish from Microcystis blooms resulted in the accumulation of microcystin in the gut and liver tissues of threadfin shad collected from the sites with blooms. Although toxicity endpoints were likely confounded by antecedent conditions, our findings demonstrate dietary exposure of Microcystis toxins to fish using a novel approach with multiple lines of evidence. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:787-798. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.

Anthropogenic debris in seafood: Plastic debris and fibers from textiles in fish and bivalves sold for human consumption.

The ubiquity of anthropogenic debris in hundreds of species of wildlife and the toxicity of chemicals associated with it has begun to raise concerns regarding the presence of anthropogenic debris in seafood. We assessed the presence of anthropogenic debris in fishes and shellfish on sale for human consumption. We sampled from markets in Makassar, Indonesia, and from California, USA. All fish and shellfish were identified to species where possible. Anthropogenic debris was extracted from the digestive tracts of fish and whole shellfish using a 10% KOH solution and quantified under a dissecting microscope. In Indonesia, anthropogenic debris was found in 28% of individual fish and in 55% of all species. Similarly, in the USA, anthropogenic debris was found in 25% of individual fish and in 67% of all species. Anthropogenic debris was also found in 33% of individual shellfish sampled. All of the anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in Indonesia was plastic, whereas anthropogenic debris recovered from fish in the USA was primarily fibers. Variations in debris types likely reflect different sources and waste management strategies between countries. We report some of the first findings of plastic debris in fishes directly sold for human consumption raising concerns regarding human health.

Toxic threshold of dietary microcystin (-LR) for quart medaka.

This study was designed to estimate the toxic threshold of male and female fish to microcystins based on different biomarkers. Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) were fed dietary Microcystin-LR (0, 0.46, 0.85, 2.01 and 3.93 microg MC-LR/g dry diet for 8 weeks at 25 degrees C. The results revealed that dietary MC-LR inhibited growth at the end of 8 weeks. The survival of embryos and the RNA/DNA ratio of whole fish decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in fish fed 3.93 microg MC-LR/g dry diet. Heat shock protein (Hsp60) expression was induced in the liver of female and male fish fed diets containing > or =0.85 and 0.46 microg MC-LR/g diet, respectively. The activity of liver caspase 3/7 was significantly higher in female fish fed 3.93 microg MC-LR/g diet and in males fed 2.01 MC-LR microg/g dry diet than fish fed the control diet. The threshold for inhibition of liver protein phosphatase expression was lower in female (2.01 microg/g diet) than that in male fish (3.93 microg/g diet). Histopathological examination showed significant single-cell necrosis in female and male medaka fed diets containing 0.85 and 3.93 microg MC-LR/g diet, respectively. Based on different biomarkers, this study demonstrated that dietary MC-LR is toxic to Medaka and the effects are gender dependent.

Contaminant concentrations and histopathological effects in Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus).

Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) is a species of special concern in California, due to multiple anthropogenic stressors. To better understand the potential impact of contaminant exposure, adult splittail were captured from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California, USA) and analyzed for histopathology and contaminant exposure. Organochlorine contaminants (PCBs, DDTs, dieldrin, chlordanes, and PBDEs) and trace metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, V, and Zn) were detected in the tissues of all fish. In many samples, human health screening values were exceeded for PCBs (83 of 90 samples), DDTs (32 samples), and dieldrin (37 samples). In contrast, thresholds for fish effects were rarely exceeded. Histopathological analysis indicated the presence of macrophage aggregates in gonads, kidneys, and liver and a high incidence of liver abnormalities. In the liver, observed effects were often moderate to severe for glycogen depletion (55 of 95 fish), lipidosis (hepatocellular vacuolation; 51 fish), and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (33 fish). Correlations between histopathology and tissue contaminant concentrations were weak and inconsistent. Significant correlations were observed between histopathology indicators and reductions in fish size, body condition, lipid content, and liver weight. These results suggest that splittail histopathology varies as a function of health and nutritional status, rather than exposure to legacy organic and metal pollutants.

Chronic effects of dietary selenium on juvenile Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus).

The chronic effects of dietary selenium (Se) exposure in juvenile Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) were investigated in the laboratory. A total of 960 (40 fish per tank, 3 tanks per diet) 7-month-old juvenile splittail were fed one of eight Purified-Casein diets supplemented with selenized yeast for 9 months in a flow-through system. These diets contained the following: 0.4 (control), 0.7, 1.4, 2.7, 6.6, 12.6, 26.0, and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) dry weight. Survival, Se tissue concentration, growth, gross morphology, and liver histopathology were assessed at 5- and 9-month of exposure. Mortalities occurred only in the two highest Se treatments and were accounted for 8.3 and 18.3% at 5-month and 10.0 and 34.3% at 9-month, respectively. Liver and muscle Se concentration were significantly correlated with dietary Se concentration. Fish exposed to 0.4-12.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diets had reached equilibrium in liver Se concentration by 5 month. Splittail fed diets at concentrations > or =26.0 mg of Se kg(-1) had not reached equilibrium in liver, and muscle Se concentrations and grew significantly slower (p < 0.05) at 5- and 9-month exposure. Se-induced deformities were observed in fish fed > or =2.7 mg of Se kg(-1) diets at 5-month and in fish fed > or =0.7 mg of Se kg(-1) diets at 9-month. Fish fed 26.0 and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diets had higher liver lesion scores at 5-month while fish fed 6.6 and 57.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diet had higher liver lesion scores at 9-month. Results indicate that survivals, growth, changes of tissue Se concentrations, and histopathology of juvenile splittail were dose-dependent, but their response thresholds to dietary Se concentrations differed and depended on treatment concentrations and duration of exposure. Chronic exposure to 6.6 mg of Se kg(-1) diet induced deleterious health effects that can potentially impact survival of juvenile splittail.

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of didecyldimethylammonium chloride in early life stages of white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus.

This study was conducted to describe the acute lethality and latent toxicity of didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) on early life stages of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Fish responses to 0, 10, 50, 100, 250, 500 microg/L concentrations of DDAC were determined using a 96-h standard static renewal method for acute toxicity testing, with three replicates per concentration. Twenty fish per replicate were tested for 3, 11, and 42-d-old larvae, and 7 fish per replicate were tested for 78-d-old juveniles. Following exposure, survival and growth were evaluated in exposed fish raised in clean water for 2 weeks. The 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values for DDAC were 10.0 to 50.0, 58.5, and 99.7 microg/L for 3, 11, and 42-d-old larvae and 100 to 250 microg/L for 78-d-old juveniles. Significant decreases in larval growth and survival were noted at all tested concentrations and in all sturgeon age groups. Results of this study reveal age- and concentration-dependent responses to DDAC. Among the age groups tested, the 3-d-old larvae were the most sensitive group. Results also revealed that 96-h lethality testing alone is not adequate for determining the toxicity of DDAC to white sturgeon.

Selenium-induced teratogenicity in Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus).

Selenium is a potent reproductive and teratogenic environmental contaminant and there are concerns over possible reproductive effects of selenium on the Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) population, a threatened species, in California, USA. In this study, the teratogenic effects of selenium were examined in splittail embryos exposed to 0.0, 5.0, and 15.0 mg l(-1) sodium selenite for 48-h at 18.0 degrees C under static conditions, with renewal every 12 h. Embryo development was evaluated daily for abnormalities from initiation of exposure (stage 27) to initiation of exogenous feeding. At the end of evaluation, prelarvae were preserved for histological analysis. There were no significant differences in mortality or hatching success between control and exposed embryos. Exposed fish had pericardial edema and deformities of skeletal tissues (loss of tail, lordosis, scoliosis, and kyphosis). Other histological alterations were limited to dysplasia, hyperplasia and metaplasia of skeletal tissues in the deformed fish. This study showed that a short exposure of embryos during somite development has significant effects on the musculoskeletal development.