Influence of sediment composition on PAH toxicity using zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryo-larval assays

Abstract

Due to hydrophobic and persistent properties, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have a high capacity to accumulate in sediment. Sediment quality criteria, for the assessment of habitat quality and risk for aquatic life, include understanding the fate and effects of PAHs. In the context of European regulation (REACH and Water Framework Directive), the first objective was to assess the influence of sediment composition on the toxicity of two model PAHs, benzo[a]pyrene and fluoranthene using 10-day zebrafish embryo-larval assay. This procedure was undertaken with an artificial sediment in order to limit natural sediment variability. A suitable sediment composition might be then validated for zebrafish and proposed in a new OECD guideline for chemicals testing. Second, a comparative study of toxicity responses from this exposure protocol was then performed using another OECD species, the Japanese medaka. The potential toxicity of both PAHs was assessed through lethal (e.g., survival, hatching success) and sublethal endpoints (e.g., abnormalities, PMR, and EROD) measured at different developmental stages, adapted to the embryonic development time of both species. Regarding effects observed for both species, a suitable artificial sediment composition for PAH toxicity testing was set at 92.5 % dry weight (dw) silica of 0.2-0.5-mm grain size, 5 % dw kaolin clay without organic matter for zebrafish, and 2.5 % dw blond peat in more only for Japanese medaka. PAH bioavailability and toxicity were highly dependent on the fraction of organic matter in sediment and of the K ow coefficients of the tested compounds. The biological responses observed were also dependent of the species under consideration. Japanese medaka embryos appeared more robust than zebrafish embryos for understanding the toxicity of PAHs following a sediment contact test, due to the longer exposure duration and lower sensitivity of sediment physical properties.

Parental trophic exposure to three aromatic fractions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the zebrafish: Consequences for the offspring

“…1 NaCl and 0.17 mM KCl) and incubated at 28 ± 0.5 °C until exposure started. Maintenance of the standard conditions of zebrafish was already described in Perrichon et al (2014). The trophic exposure was then performed from 5 days post-fertilization (dpf) larvae which correspond to the mouth opening stage.…”

“…In aquatic organisms, exposure to PAHs can thus lead to detrimental defects from a developmental, physiological and behavioral point of view (Bihanic et al 2015;Incardona et al 2011;Perrichon et al 2014). PAHs' impact on reproductive success is particularly studied due to its consequence on population recruitment.…”

Bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri Assays in the Assessment of Seasonal and Spatial Patterns in Toxicity of Contaminated River Sediments

“…Population densities and related anthropogenic activities, both agricultural and industrial, affect seasonal, and temporal patterns of contamination in fluvial sediments (Grosbois et al, 2006). Moreover, several abiotic factors such as sediment composition and geochemical processes can also influence final concentrations of pollutants and their toxicity (Bláha et al, 2010; Hilscherová et al, 2010; Perrichon et al, 2014). …”

Early life co-exposures to a real-world PAH mixture and hypoxia result in later life and next generation consequences in medaka (Oryzias latipes)

“…Relative to the time of hatching for zebrafish (2–3 days) (Kimmel et al, 1995), the longer time to hatch (7–10 days) of medaka (Iwamatsu, 2004; Kinoshita et al, 2009) enabled extended observations of normal and abnormal development while providing increased duration of embryo exposure (Perrichon et al, 2014). In addition, medaka reach sexual maturity at approximately 8 weeks, allowing relatively rapid trangenerational studies (Lawrence et al, 2012).…”