Biological effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their first metabolic products in in vivo exposed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Abstract

The monitoring of the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the aquatic environment is a worldwide activity since some of these compounds are well-established carcinogens and mutagens. Contaminants in this class are in fact regarded as priority hazardous substances for environmental pollution (Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC). In this study, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) was selected to assess in vivo effects of two PAH and their first metabolic products, namely, the corresponding trans-dihydrodiols, using biological markers. Fish were exposed for 1 wk to a single PAH (naphthalene or chrysene) and its synthetic metabolites ((1R,2R)-1,2-dihydronaphthalene-1,2-diol and (1R,2R)-1,2-dihydrochrysene-1,2-diol) by intraperitoneal injection in a continuous seawater flow system. After exposure, PAH metabolism including PAH metabolites in bile and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity, oxidative stress glutathione S-transferases (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities, and genotoxicity such as DNA adducts were evaluated, as well as general health conditions including condition index (CI), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and gonadosomatic index (GSI). PAH metabolite values were low and not significantly different when measured with the fixed-wavelength fluorescence screening method, while the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) method showed an apparent dose response in fish exposed to naphthalene. DNA adduct levels ≥0.16 × 10(-8) relative adduct level (RAL) were detected. It should be noted that 0.16 × 10(-8) RAL is considered the maximal acceptable background level for this species. The other biomarkers activities of catalase, GST, and EROD did not display a particular compound- or dose-related response. The GSI values were significantly lower in some chrysene- and in both naphthalene- and naphthalene diol-exposed groups compared to control.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in Portuguese educational settings: a comparison between preschools and elementary schools

“…For general population, breathing air (indoor and ambient) and consumption of food containing PAH are major routes of PAH exposure (Elabbas et al, 2014;Pampanin et al, 2016). The PAH are highly lipophilic such that human bioavailabil-ity is significant (Sarigiannis et al, 2015), and these compounds were detected in nearly all internal organs (principally in adipose tissues) (Abdel-Shafy & Mansour, 2016).…”

Morphological Deformities of Green Toad (Bufo viridis ) Tadpoles Caused by Petroleum Products

“…Low concentrations of commercial naphthenic acids also caused decrease in survival rate in L. sylvaticus tadpoles [24]. Different pollutants demonstrate simliar effects in other aquatic animals, such as amphipods [4]; mollusks [25], crustaceans [26], and fish [27,28]. The sensitivity of B. viridis embryos petroleum products impact may be due to the fact that this specieslay eggs in small ponds, and embryos and tadpoles are not able to escape from a water body with unfavorable conditions [29].…”

Do background levels of the pesticide pirimiphosmethyl in plant-based aquafeeds affect food safety of farmed Atlantic salmon?

“…For farmed fish, limited information exists on the metabolism of PM from plant-based aquafeeds, and the kinetics of the parent PM compound and its main metabolites. Liver is one of the main organs of dietary xenobiotic metabolism, and bile is used for metabolite identification in dietary fish studies (Zhang et al 2014;Bakke et al 2016;Feng et al 2016;Pampanin et al 2016;Domoradzki et al 2017).…”