Health Impact Assessment of Sulfolane on Embryonic Development of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Sulfolane is a widely used polar, aprotic solvent that has been detected by chemical analysis in groundwater and creeks around the world including Alberta, Canada (800 µg/mL), Louisiana, USA (2900 µg/mL) and Brisbane, Australia (4344 µg/mL). Previous research provided information on adverse effects of sulfolane on mammals, but relatively little information is available on aquatic organisms. This study tested the effects of sulfolane (0–5000 µg/mL) on early development of zebrafish larvae, using various morphometric (survival, hatching, yolk sac and pericardial oedema, haemorrhaging, spinal malformations, swim bladder inflation), growth (larval length, eye volume, yolk sac utilisation), behavioural (touch response, locomotor activity and transcript abundance parameters (ahr1a, cyp1a, thraa, dio1, dio2, dio3, 11βhsd2, gr, aqp3a, cyp19a1b, ddc, gria2b and hsp70) for 120 h. Embryos were chronically exposed to sulfolane throughout the experimental period. For locomotor activity, however, we also investigated acute response to 2-h sulfolane treatment. Sulfolane sensitivity causing significant impairment in the observed parameters were different depending on parameters measured, including survival (concentrations greater than 800 µg/mL), morphometric and growth (800–1000 µg/mL), behaviour (500–800 µg/mL) and transcript abundance (10 µg/mL). The overall results provide novel information on the adverse health impacts of sulfolane on an aquatic vertebrate species, and an insight into developmental impairments following exposure to environmental levels of sulfolane in fish embryos.

Natterin-like depletion by CRISPR/Cas9 impairs zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic development

“…Mortality (egg coagulation) was checked daily as well as the occurrence of deformities in the surviving embryos, such as the absence of somites and non-detachment of the tail (lethality parameters); head/eye malformation, abnormal yolk sac absorption, pericardium and yolk sac edema, uninflated or absent swimming bladder, and abnormal pigmentation (sublethality parameters); curved tail or shortened tail, spinal deformity, and delayed growth (teratogenicity parameters) were analyzed according to Shah et al [ 77 ]. The images obtained using an M205C stereomicroscope (Leica Microsystems) at 27x magnification were used for measurements using the ImageJ v.1.8.0_172.…”

An Overview of the Glucocorticoids’ Pathways in the Environment and Their Removal Using Conventional Wastewater Treatment Systems

“…Some natural and synthetic GCs from different sources of waste disrupt the normal activities of the endocrine glands [25,[45][46][47][48][49]. Some of these GCs adversely affect the growth and production of fish and plants [4,22,45,49]. GCs are categorized into five structural groups: acetonide, hydrocortisone, betamethasone, halogenated and labile prodrug esters [28][29][30]50].…”

“…In the past few decades, thousands of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) entered into the water cycle through different ways [1][2][3][4]. According to EPA, endocrinedisrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can be both natural and synthetic substances in our environment, are typically pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and foods that interfere with hormone biosynthesis and metabolism resulting in a deviation from normal homeostatic control or reproduction [5].…”

A laboratory and field investigation of aerobic biodegradation of sulfolane in groundwater

“…Sulfolane has exhibited various toxic effects on aquatic organisms (e.g. zebra fish) and mammals such as rat, mouse, guinea pig, monkey, squirrel and dog 1‐3 . Long‐term exposure to high levels of sulfolane can lead to lung and liver inflammation, vomiting, convulsions, decrease in white blood cells, pulmonary hemorrhage, fatty liver metamorphosis and other toxic effects on experimental animals 4 …”