Environmental contaminants and biomarker responses in fish from the Rio Grande and its U.S. tributaries: Spatial and temporal trends

Abstract

Dethloff, Gail M.; Bartish, Timothy M.; Coyle, James J.; and Tillitt, Donald E., "Environmental contaminants and biomarker responses in fish from the Rio Grande and its U.S. tributaries: Spatial and temporal trends" (2005 AbstractWe collected, examined, and analyzed 368 fish of seven species from 10 sites on rivers of the Rio Grande Basin (RGB) during late 1997 and early 1998 to document temporal and geographic trends in the concentrations of accumulative contaminants and to assess contaminant effects on the fish. Sites were located on the mainstem of the Rio Grande and on the Arroyo Colorado and Pecos River in Texas (TX), New Mexico (NM), and Colorado. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were the targeted species. Fish were examined in the field for internal and external visible gross lesions, selected organs were weighed to compute ponderal and organosomatic indices, and samples of tissues and fluids were obtained and preserved for analysis of fish health and reproductive biomarkers. Whole fish from each station were composited by species and gender and analyzed for organochlorine chemical residues and elemental contaminants using instrumental methods, and for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ) using the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Overall, fish from lower RGB stations contained greater concentrations of organochlorine pesticide residues and appeared to be less healthy than those from sites in the central and upper parts of the basin, as indicated by a general gradient of residue concentrations and biomarker responses. A minimal number of altered biomarkers and few or no elevated contaminant concentrations were noted in fish from the upper RGB. The exception was elevated concentrations [up to 0.46 Ag/g wet-weight (ww)] of total mercury (Hg) in predatory species from the Rio Grande at Elephant Butte Reservoir, NM, a condition documented in previous studies. Arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) concentrations were greatest in fish from sites in the central RGB; Se concentrations in fish from the Pecos River at Red Bluff Lake, TX and from the Rio Grande at Langtry, TX and Amistad International Reservoir, TX exceeded published fish and wildlife toxicity thresholds. In the lower RGB, residues of This article is a U.S. government work, and is not subject to copyright in the United States.p,pV-DDT metabolites (V1.69 Ag/g ww), chlordane-related compounds (V0.21 Ag/g ww), dieldrin (V0.0.05 Ag/g ww), and toxaphene (V2.4 Ag/g ww) were detected in fish from most sites; maximum concentrations were in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) from the Arroyo Colorado at Harlingen, TX. Concentrations of one or more residues exceeded toxicity thresholds for fish and wildlife in fish from this site and from the Rio Grande at Mission, TX and Brownsville, TX; however, concentrations were lower than those reported by previous studies. In addition, the proportional concentrations of p,pV-DDT at all sites were low, indicating weathered DDT rather than the influx of new ma...

Distinct expression and activity profiles of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) estrogen receptors in response to estradiol and nonylphenol

“…The production of vtg in male fish has been clearly linked to reproductive impacts in multiple species and populations (Miller et al 2007). Altered reproductive biomarkers of LMB from contaminated field sites have been documented (Sepulveda et al 2002, Schmitt et al 2005 and causally linked to xenoestrogen exposures (at least in part).…”

Biomarker responses in wild three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) as a useful tool for freshwater biomonitoring: A multiparametric approach

“…Biomarkers are defined as observable or measurable modifications at the molecular, biochemical, cellular, physiological or behavioural levels revealing the exposure of an organism to xenobiotics (Lagadic et al, 1997). To evaluate the various responses to pollutant mixtures in organisms, the usefulness of a set of complementary biomarkers has been demonstrated and is now applied in environmental biomonitoring programs (Flammarion et al, 2002b;Schmitt et al, 2005;Triebskorn et al, 2001).…”

Evaluación Preliminar De La Presencia De Pesticidas Organoclorados en Pescados De La Presa Vicente Guerrero (Tamaulip As, México) Preliminary Evaluation of the Presence of Organochlorine Pesticides in Fish of Vicente Guerrero Dam (Tamaulip As, Mexico)

“…La lobina presentó concentraciones en un intervalo amplio de 5,82 a 584 ng/ g. Es pertinente señalar que la lobina que presentó el valor de 584 ng/g medía solamente 27 cm y tenía un peso total de 265 g, aunque tenía un tamaño inferior al permitido para su captura, se analizó porque ya estaba muerta cuando se capturó. Mientras que la lobina que presentó el valor de 5,82 medía 43 cm y pesaba 1115 g. Otros autores también encontraron amplios intervalos para la lobina, por ejemplo valores de 50 a 380 ng/g (Schmitt et al, 2005).…”

“…Los resultados para carpa fueron similares a los de Schmitt et al (2005) quienes trabajaron en 10 estaciones de muestreo en la Cuenca del Río Grande (USA y frontera con México) y detectaron la presencia de p-p'-DDE en todas las estaciones de muestreo y en 43 de las 47 muestras analizadas (LOD 10 ng/g). En carpa encontraron valores de 20 a 520 ng/g y en bagre valores de 100 y 110 ng/g en dos estaciones.…”

“…En bagre, los valores fueron de 5,86 a 6,90 ng/g; en carpa las concentraciones fueron de 3,61 a 4,84 ng/g; en lobina los resultados fueron de 5,93 a 10,19 ng/g y en tilapia de 6,07 a 9,16 ng/g. Estos resultados concuerdan con los obtenidos por Schmitt et al (2005), ya que ellos encontraron p-p'-DDD en 6 de las 10 estaciones de muestreo y en 23 de las 47 muestras. También en concentraciones uniformemente bajas, menores que 84 ng/g.…”