Histopathologic and histochemical biomarker responses of Baltic clam, Macoma balthica, to contaminated Sydney Harbour sediment, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Abstract

Sediments in Sydney Harbour, Nova Scotia, are highly contaminated by polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. Histopathologic and histochemical evaluations were made on the Baltic clam, Macoma balthica, exposed to 11 Sydney Harbour sediment samples. Histologic lesions in digestive gland (tubular dilation or atrophy, macrophage aggregates, tubular cell necrosis, and tissue inflammation) and gonads (macrophage aggregates, supporting cell, germ cell, and ovarian cell necroses) were frequently detected in clams exposed to the most contaminated sediments from the harbor. Clams exposed to these contaminated sediments also had the highest acid phosphatase activity. The average scores of tubular dilation or atrophy, ovarian cell necrosis, and the sums of mean digestive gland lesions correlated significantly with sediment PCBs, and the activities of acid phosphatase correlated significantly with sediment heavy metals, PAHs, and PCBs. Among the lesions, digestive gland tubular dilation or atrophy, tubular cell, germ cell, and ovarian cell necroses, and the activity of acid phosphatase are the best sublethal effect indicators in Macoma exposed to Sydney Harbour sediments. Key words: biomarkers, chronic biologic effects, clams, histology, histochemistry, Macoma balthica, marine sediment, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls.

Lipofuscin-Like Pigment in Gonads of Sea Urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius as a Potential Biomarker of Marine Pollution: A Field Study

“…Enhanced resorption of abnormal and dead germ cells has been reported for different invertebrate species experimentally exposed to toxicants (Maung Myint and Tyler 1982;Cajaraville et al 1990;Au et al 2003;Lehmann et al 2007;Schäfer and Köhler 2009) or inhabiting polluted waters (Syasina et al 1991;Binelli et al 2001;Vaschenko et al 2001;Tay et al 2003; the present study). Our study showed a positive correlation between IPA res and IPA hyp in sea urchins of both sexes (r = 0.81 [p = 0.051] and r = 0.84 [p = 0.038] for female and male sea urchins, respectively).…”

Sex-specific biochemical and histological differences in gonads of sea urchins (Psammechinus miliaris) and their response to phenanthrene exposure

“…PAHs and oil are known to increase the prevalence of oocyte atresia in sea urchins (Schäfer and Köhler, 2009) as well as in other invertebrates (e.g., Lowe and Pipe, 1986;Tay et al, 2003;OrtizZarragoitia and Cajaraville, 2006). In the present study, oocyte atresia was not induced by exposure to 5 or even 150 mg phenanthrene L À1 for 10 days, and only exposure to as much as 500 mg L À1 phenanthrene for 20 days increased atresia of previtellogenic oocytes in a previous study (Schäfer and Köhler, 2009).…”

Gonadal lesions of female sea urchin (Psammechinus miliaris) after exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene

“…It is well known that PAHs and oil elicit histopathological effects on gonads in marine invertebrates such as degeneration of germ cells and gonadal follicles, atrophy of gonadal tissue as well as inflammatory reactions (Lowe and Pipe, 1986;Berthou et al, 1987;Cajaraville et al, 1990;Tay et al, 2003;Aarab et al, 2004;Ortiz-Zarragoitia and Cajaraville, 2006). Indeed, the mentioned studies deal solely with molluscan species.…”