Cytosolic distribution of Cd, Cu and Zn, and metallothionein levels in relation to physiological changes in gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) from metal-impacted habitats.

In the present study the impact of environmental metal contamination in gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) was investigated coupling disturbances in subcellular metal distribution to effect biomarkers. Gibel carp were caught at six different sampling sites in Flanders (Belgium), characterized by different degrees in environmental metal contamination. Tissue Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations and total metallothioneon (MT) levels were determined in gills, liver and kidney. Cytosolic metal distribution was measured in the main accumulating organs, liver and kidney, revealing tissue- and metal-dependent profiles. The MT pool dominated the cytosolic distribution profile. Although the importance of the MT pool increased with increasing environmental and cytosolic metal concentrations, also an undefined fraction of Cu and Cd fractions (probably free metal ions or metals bound to small organic complexes) increased at the most contaminated sampling sites. Disturbances in serum ion concentrations, serum alanine aminotransferase activity (ALT), hematocrite and condition factor were measured, as indicators of toxic effects. At the sampling site with the highest environmental Cd pollution a significant decrease in serum Ca(2+) concentrations and a significantly increased serum ALT activity were measured suggesting incomplete detoxification of Cd. Increased serum ALT concentrations suggested structural liver damage. The fact that the liver tissue, and probably also the kidney, could not cope with this high Cd burden in combination with the increased uptake of dissolved Cd through the gills most probably contributed to the perturbed serum Ca(2+) homeostasis.

Exposure patterns of perfluorooctane sulfonate in aquatic invertebrates from the Western Scheldt estuary and the southern North Sea.

Over the past decades little research has been conducted on the environmental behavior and effects of fluorinated organochemicals (FOCs). Recently it has been reported that perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is occurring worldwide. Little is known about the PFOS levels in organisms originating from the southern North Sea and the Western Scheldt estuary. In this study, we determined, for the first time, the PFOS-exposure levels in Crangon crangon, Carcinus maenas, and Asterias rubens from these ecosystems. Concentrations on a wet-weight basis in soft tissues of shrimp, crab, and starfish ranged from 19 to 520 ng/g, from 24 to 877 ng/g, and from 9 to 176 ng/g, respectively. These results show the existence of a PFOS pollution gradient in organisms along the Western Scheldt estuary, with the highest concentrations near Antwerp. The range of PFOS levels in shrimp and crab are slightly higher in coastal regions compared with sampling sites in open water. This study shows widespread distribution of PFOS in the Belgian and Dutch marine and estuarine environment at rather high concentrations.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid in bib (Trisopterus luscus) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) from the Western Scheldt and the Belgian North Sea: distribution and biochemical effects.

A biomonitoring campaign was conducted in the Belgian North Sea and in the Western Scheldt (The Netherlands) with the primary goal to assess perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) contamination and distribution in different biota. This study covers the results obtained for bib (Trisopterus luscus) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and includes the assessment of some stress-related biochemical endpoints. Analysis of liver and muscle PFOS concentrations of both species provided evidence for the existence of a PFOS pollution gradient along the Western Scheldt with higher levels at the upstream locations and a lower degree of PFOS pollution at the marine locations. Cellular necrosis was studied by measuring aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in the serum. Serum ALT but not serum AST was shown to correlate positively with the PFOS liver concentration in bib (r = 0.44, p < 0.05), indicating that PFOS might contribute to the induction of hepatic damage in bib in the area of study. Analysis of total carbohydrate, lipid, and protein content of bib liver tissue revealed a positive correlation between the protein content and the PFOS liver concentration (r = 0.55, p < 0.01). Whether this is due to induction of compensatory mechanisms, detoxification, or repair processes remains unclear.