Polychlorinated biphenyls disrupt cell division and tip growth in two species of fucoid algae

Abstract

Environmental contaminants, including poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are enriched in coastal sediments, and despite a 1977 moratorium by the United States Environmental Protection Agency on the production of PCBs, levels remain high, more so near former industrial plants. The effects of these contaminants on sessile species in the intertidal zone, particularly nonanimal species such as the ubiquitous fucoid brown algae, are not well known. We investigated the developmental effects of chronic PCB treatment beginning at fertilization on two species of marine rockweed, Fucus vesiculosus Linnaeus and Silvetia compressa (J.Agardh) E.Serrão, T.O.Cho, S.M.Boo & Brawley. A mixture of the most widely used PCB congeners, Aroclors 1221, 1242, and 1254, was delivered at concentrations well below levels found in contaminated sediments, and resulted in severely delayed mitosis and cytokinesis in both species. In F. vesiculosus, this delay was accompanied by abnormal spindle morphology. PCB treatment also dramatically slowed or arrested rhizoid growth after 2-4 d, and by 7 d F. vesiculosus embryos were dead; in contrast, polar secretion of adhesive, germination, and photopolar germination were not affected. The dramatic delay in the first cell division and reduction in tip growth within the first week of development are likely to compromise S. compressa's ability to reproduce and establish new generations. Thus, the data presented here suggest that PCBs still present in coastal sediments may be inhibiting recruitment in these species. Moreover, as sediment dredging causes temporary spikes in PCB concentrations, these kinds of bioremediation steps may exacerbate the disruption of fucoid development.

Toxic Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners and Aroclors on Embryonic Growth and Development

“…Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of PCBs through the food web have been shown to impact growth, maturation, survival, and reproduction of many species at multiple levels of ecosystem organization (Andersson et al 2001; Walters et al 2010; Hable and Nguyen 2013; Romero‐Romero et al 2017). Exposure to PCBs can lead to long‐term impacts such as developmental defects in the brain and heart, immunodeficiency, cancers, chronic conditions, and reproductive defects on animals exposed to contaminants during embryonic development (Jacobson and Jacobson 2006; Daouk et al 2011; He et al 2011; Péan et al 2013).…”

Microplastics Contamination of Fish From The Creeks Along The Kenya Coast, Western Indian Ocean (WIO).

“…For instance, styrene in polystyrene is an endocrine disrupter, while polyester contains hazardous level of monomers associated with respiratory irritation, cell mutation, and is toxic to aquatic environments (Lithner et al, 2011). Polyethylene and polyamides (nylon) although thought to be benign, may absorb POPs from the environment (Rochman et al, 2013) such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), known to disrupt immunity and cell division (Lauby-Secretan et al, 2013;Hable and Nguyen, 2013). Microplastics toxins in low density polyethylene (LDPE) cause liver stress including: single cell glycogen depletion, necrosis, and fatty vacuolation (Rochman et al, 2013).…”