中国主要沿海地区鱼/贝类中PBDEs暴露水平现状、特征和发展趋势

多溴联苯醚(polybrominated diphenyl ethers,PBDEs)是一种溴代阻燃剂,稳定性强,并具有生物蓄积性和长距离迁移特性.海洋环境是疏水性PBDEs的全球汇集点,自本世纪初研究者在海洋生物中陆续发现了PBDEs.本文分析了近16年来我国环渤海,东部沿海及南海北部三个沿海地区鱼/贝类中PBDEs的暴露水平现状及分布特征.现有的研究结果表明:环渤海、东部沿海以及南海北部地区鱼类中PBDEs总体暴露含量差异显著,分别为0.56—215.81 ng·g~(-1)lw(脂重)、ND—77.0 ng·g~(-1)lw和ND—167 ng·g~(-1)lw;贝类样品PBDEs含量最高为渤海莱州湾地区230—720 ng·g~(-1)lw,其次是浙江台州地区58.33—78.98 ng·g~(-1)dw(干重);渤海沿岸鱼类中PBDEs浓度呈现上升的趋势,南海北部鱼类中的PBDEs浓度呈下降趋势,东部沿海地区鱼类体内PBDEs浓度没有明显变化;3个沿海区鱼类中PBDEs的同系物暴露特征总体表现为低溴代的PBDE-47检出率最高、对总量贡献率最大.高溴代的PBDE-209近年来在某些鱼/贝类中的检出率和检出浓度有上升趋势.     

氯化二丁基锡对小鼠外周血液中睾丸酮和雌二醇含量的影响

用放射免疫法分别测定了DBTCl对妊娠d6雌小鼠和成年雄小鼠外周血液中雌二醇和睾丸酮水平的影响.每天按小鼠体重一次腹腔注射0.025～0.400μg/kgd-1DBTCl，共染毒7d.实验条件为(22±2)℃和光暗=12h12h.结果表明，处理组睾丸酮和雌二醇的含量随处理剂量的增加而增加，当w（DBTCl）≥0.05μg/kg时，二者呈明显的剂量-效应关系.雌二醇含量的增加比睾丸酮更为显著CK雄性小鼠睾丸酮浓度为（2.88±0.72）ng/mL，在0.40μg/kg剂量组达到(9.95±2.5)μg/mL时，约为CK的3.5倍；而CK和0.40ng/kg剂量组妊娠小鼠雌二醇浓度分别为(30.32±5.43)ng/mL和(287.57±51.13)ng/mL，相差约9.5倍.文中还就DBTCl对小鼠血液中激素含量的影响机理进行了初步探讨.图1表2参20     

抗焦虑药物和鱼类行为：建立奥沙西泮体内浓度与行为效应的联系

精神药物经常在水环境中被检测出。这些药物在鱼体内的靶点分子在进化上保守,表明这些药物会对鱼的行为方式产生类似于对人的影响。产生影响所需要的药物暴露浓度是研究的关键。本研究中我们将黑头呆鱼（Pimephales promelas）暴露在奥沙西泮（一种苯二氮类化合物）浓度为0.8,4.7和30.6 μg?L^-1的水体中,测定其摄取量和组织分布。我们通过以完成新鱼缸潜水测试和搜索庇护地测试来量化鱼类探索的行为,进而研究了奥沙西泮的体内浓度与的其探索行为的关系。大脑中奥沙西泮的浓度最高,血浆与肝脏中的浓度次之,肌肉中浓度最低。3组实验鱼血浆中奥沙西泮的平均浓度为8.7±5.7,30.3±16.1,和98.8±72.9 μg?L^-1,分别对应于之前3组水体浓度。血浆与组织中奥沙西泮的浓度在3组中均显著相关。在暴露浓度为30.6 μg?L^-1的水体中,鱼血浆中的浓度已达到或稍低于人体治疗血药浓度范围。暴露在4.7 μg?L^-1水体中的鱼在新鱼缸潜水测试中的行为受到了显著的影响。在同组中,奥沙西泮的血浆浓度接近人体治疗血药浓度最低值的三分之一。在奥沙西泮暴露浓度最低与最高的水体中,鱼类行为均未表现出受到显著影响。结果的显著性应在黑头呆鱼的物种特定性行为和已有的奥沙西泮药理学知识下进行讨论。
精选自Belinda Huerta, Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci, Sara Rodríguez-Mozaz, Martin Scholze, Matthew J. Winter, Damià Barceló,John P. Sumpter. Anti-anxiety drugs and fish behaviour: establishing the link between internal concentrations of oxazepam and behavioural effects. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 35, Issue 11, pages 2782–2790, November 2016. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3448
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3448/full
     

受有色金属密集采矿影响的中国南方某地区鸟类羽毛中重金属、砷和硒的含量

重金属污染在中国非常普遍，特别是在其矿区。最近有报道称贵州省鸟类体内的汞浓度高于有害影响水平，即使是在非矿区也同样如此。我们采集了鸟类样本以调查在广西壮族自治区汞是否是铅矿、锌矿和锡矿附近的潜在威胁因素。我们测定了由60个物种组成的627只本地鸟类羽毛中的8种金属或类金属，这些样本采集于在5条河流的14个位点。。我们发现汞浓度（1.27±2.02ppm）低于最近的贵州研究中报道的浓度。汞与其他金属或类金属的相关性最低，而与开采金属（铅、锡、锌）的相关性最高。镉（1.12±2.64 ppm）、砷（4.78±17.11 ppm）和铅（17.18±24.49 ppm）的浓度水平接近有害效应阈值，或与其他研究相比相对较高。除了汞、镉和砷的几个热点矿区外，金属或类金属水平在矿区之间分布均匀，与可开采矿床的区域分布一致。汞尽管可能危害汞矿附近的一些物种，但似乎并没有威胁到中国所有的鸟类物种。然而，除了汞之外，其他金属或类金属也可能对野生生物的健康造成危害。     

微囊藻毒素在鲋鱼体内生物富集及其体内的抗氧化反应

为了解微囊藻毒索在鲋鱼Carassius auratus L.体内生物富集作用,用LC/MS监测不同时间的鲋鱼肝脏、肌肉,以及饲养用水中痕量的微囊藻毒素.结果显示,肌肉组织中MC-RR和MC-LR的含量在18 d时达到峰值,分别为7.87 ng·g~(-1)和2.18 ng·g~(-1);而肝脏组织中MC-RR和MC-LR的含量在鲋鱼暴露9天时达到最高值,分别为25.30 ng·g~(-1)和33.27ng·g~(-1).研究结果支持肝脏组织是MCs的主要靶向器官,并且表明肝脏组织对MC-LR的富集量远大于MC-RR,而肌肉组织更易于积累MC-RR.文章还研究了鲋鱼体内的抗氧化酶(SOD、CAT、GST、GR酶)的活性变化,对MCs介导的氧化胁迫进行了评估.通过分别测定暴露不同时间点(3、9、18 d)肝脏和肌肉组织中的抗氧化酶的活性,发现它们的活性与组织中MCs的含量基本呈正相关,可能对MCs介导的氧化胁迫有缓解作用.以上表明,MCs能在鱼体内积累,抗氧化系统虽可缓解,但不能完全降解.因此食用被MCs污染的鱼类存在潜在的食品安全风险.     

建立组织外植体的共培养模型(in vitro)用于预测内分泌干扰效应(in vivo)：以黑头软口鲦(Pimephales promelas)的下丘脑-垂体-性腺（HPG）轴内分泌干扰作用为例

内分泌干扰物 （Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, EDCs）可以通过干扰下丘脑-垂体-性腺（HPG）轴来影响生殖系统。虽然目前已有筛选内分泌干扰物的体外检测方法,但这些方法在用于体内实验时却有着不稳定的准确性。本文记录了以黑头呆鱼（Pimephales promelas）的下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴与肝（HPG-L）的共培养组织作为组织外植体来模拟体内反应的结果。我们对成年鱼的大脑（下丘脑）,垂体,性腺和肝进行了单独和共同培养的检测来确定可以在体内重复的情况与组合。只有共培养体表现出去甲雄三烯醇酮对于雌二醇,睾酮和卵黄生成素生成趋势的影响。较低的暴露剂量会抑制激素生成,而较高的暴露剂量则会促进激素生成,形成U型作用曲线。这些数据表明下丘脑-垂体-性腺-肝轴的全部组织的共同培养可以作为体内实验与体外实验的连接,从而预测在完整生物体内内分泌系统的扰乱。本实验中以组织为基础的下丘脑-垂体-性腺-肝系统作为一个灵活的体内系统的解构版本得到了更好的实验控制。通过分离、审查和重组需要的组织,我们能够检测到生物系统功能与对于内分泌干扰物反应中的微小变化。
精选自Theresa K. Johnston, Edward Perkins, Duncan C. Ferguson, Donald M. Cropek. Tissue explant co-culture model of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-liver axis of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) as a predictive tool for endocrine disruption. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 35, Issue 10, pages 2530–2541, October 2016. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3415
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3415/full
     

食物相暴露条件下尼罗罗非鱼对砷的累积与转化

为研究不同类型、不同营养级的生物对砷（As）的累积与转化作用,采用室内培养试验,选取杂食性淡水鱼类尼罗罗非鱼（Oreochromis niloticus）为研究对象,让其分别摄食暴露于1 mg·L^-1砷酸[As（V）]水溶液中15 d的浮水植物青萍（Lemna minor L.）、沉水植物轮叶黑藻（Hydrilla verticillate）、节肢动物日本沼虾（Macrobrachium nipponense）,研究不同食物相暴露条件下尼罗罗非鱼对砷的累积与转化作用.结果发现,动植物能吸收并累积水中的砷,且随着暴露时间的增加,其对含砷水环境有一定的适应性;尼罗罗非鱼摄食不同类型的食物之后,其肌肉组织中累积的砷含量不同,但总砷量与食物相中的浓度趋势一致,为投喂青萍组>投喂轮叶黑藻组>投喂日本沼虾组;当罗非鱼通过食物摄入砷,相较于一甲基砷酸（MMA）和二甲基砷酸（DMA）,As（V）更容易转化为亚砷酸[As（Ⅲ）],砷被蓄积与转化后主要以砷甜菜碱（AsB）的稳态形式存在;不同生物对砷的累积和转化方式不同,水生动物更易将无机砷甲基化为毒性较小的AsB;投喂日...     

湖鲟(Acipenser fulvescens)早期生命阶段对2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并-p-二恶英和3,3''4,4''5-五氯联苯的敏感性研究

自20世纪中叶以来，五大湖区的水生食物网就已受到多氯联苯化合物(PCBs)的污染。对于长寿命鱼类，如湖鲟(Acipenser fulvescens)，由于缺乏该物种的相对敏感性信息，一直无法确定其PCB暴露的风险。本文的研究目标就是评估湖鲟早期生命阶段对3,3''4,4''5-五氯联苯(PCB-126)或2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并-p-二恶英(TCDD)暴露的敏感性。死亡率、生长、形态和组织病理学、游泳能力和活动水平都被用作评估终点。心包和卵黄囊水肿、管状心脏、卵黄囊出血和体长较小是TCDD和PCB-126暴露中最常见的病理症状，早在受精4 d后就开始出现，其中许多的病理都以一种剂量依赖的方式发生。湖鲟体内PCB-126和TCDD的半致死剂量分别为5.4 ng/g egg(95%置信区间，3.9-7.4 ng/g egg)和0.61 ng/g egg (0.47-0.82 ng/g egg)。由此产生的PCB-126的相对强度因子(0.11)远大于世界卫生组织对鱼的估计值(毒性当量因子=0.005)，这表明目前的风险评估可能低估了PCB对湖鲟的毒性。在受精60 d后，从半致死剂量中幸存的湖鲟的游泳活性和耐力均有所下降。阈值和半数效应毒性值表明，与在北美发现的另一种鲟鱼属Scaphirhynchu相比，湖鲟对PCB和TCDD更为敏感。事实上，在大湖区和其他地方的湖鲟种群都容易受到PCB/ TCDD诱导,使胚胎发育受到影响，游泳能力下降。
精选自Tillitt, D. E., Buckler, J. A., Nicks, D. K., Candrl, J. S., Claunch, R. A., Gale, R. W., Puglis, H. J., Little, E. E., Linbo, T. L. and Baker, M. (2017), Sensitivity of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) early life stages to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin and 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 36: 988–998. doi: 10.1002/etc.3614
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3614/full
     

17α-甲基睾酮对稀有鮈鲫肝脏脂质代谢的影响

环境内分泌干扰物对环境影响十分严重,绝大部分进入水环境,危害水生生物健康,进而影响人类健康.17α-甲基睾酮(17α-methyltestosterone,MT)是一种常见的环境雄激素,但在鱼体内的作用机制尚不明确.为了探究MT对鱼类肝脏脂质代谢的影响,采用不同浓度的MT(0、25、50和100 ng·L-1)处理864尾稀有鮈鲫(Gobiocypris rarus),分别在7、14和21 d取肝脏样品.用石蜡组织切片(H-E染色)研究MT对稀有鮈鲫肝脏组织的影响;用RT-qPCR检测4个内参基因的稳定性及5个脂质代谢相关基因(acaca、acacb、fasn、gpat1和cpt1α)的mRNA表达;用ELISA法测定肝脏中甘油三酯的含量.结果 表明,MT会对稀有鮈鲫肝脏造成一定程度的影响,50 ng·L-1 MT处理14 d,肝脏组织损伤最明显.25 ng·L-1和50 ng·L-1 MT处理14 d,相关基因的表达均显著变化(P＜0.05).mRNA表达与组织学结果均表明50 ng·L-1 MT对稀有鮈鲫肝脏影响最为显著.100ng·L-1 MT处理21 d,acaca、cpt1α和gpat1基因表达量显著下降(P＜0.05).MT对雌鱼肝脏甘油三酯影响较雄鱼大.综上,MT通过影响肝脏脂质代谢相关基因mRNA的表达,干扰了稀有鮈鲫肝脏脂质代谢过程,进而对肝脏产生不同程度的损伤.由于MT在不同性别鱼体内的代谢途径不同,推测MT在稀有觞鲫体内可能被芳香化为雌激素(ME),从而发挥部分雌激素作用.     

3种微藻对全氟烷基化合物的生物富集效应

全氟烷基化合物(perfluoroalkyl substances,PFASs)是一系列人工合成的新型有机污染物,由于长链的PFASs具有较高的生物蓄积性,短链PFASs逐渐作为替代品而被广泛利用。为探讨不同碳链长度的PFASs在水生浮游植物中的蓄积能力,选取7种PFASs为目标物,以斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)、钝顶螺旋藻(Spirulina platensis)和蛋白核小球藻(Chlorella pyrenoidosa)作为受试生物进行富集动力学实验,测定24 h时的生物富集因子(Bioconcentration factors,BCF)。结果表明,染毒浓度为10μg·L-1时,全氟癸烷羧酸的富集能力最强,在斜生栅藻、钝顶螺旋藻和蛋白核小球藻中的浓度分别为1 894 ng·g~(-1)、88.0ng·g~(-1)、990 ng·g~(-1)。3种微藻中全氟烷基磺酸的BCF均随碳链长度的增加而增大;全氟烷基羧酸的BCF基本遵循同样的规律,只是在钝顶螺旋藻体内,全氟己烷羧酸的BCF高于全氟辛烷羧酸。此外,PFASs在斜生栅藻中的浓度均高于蛋白核小球藻和钝顶螺旋藻,不同藻类的富集能力与其表面积、脂肪及蛋白质组成有关。     

Long-distance transport of Hg, Sb, and As from a mined area, conversion of Hg to methyl-Hg, and uptake of Hg by fish on the Tiber River basin, west-central Italy

Stream sediment, stream water, and fish were collected from a broad region to evaluate downstream transport and dispersion of mercury (Hg) from inactive mines in the Monte Amiata Hg District (MAMD), Tuscany, Italy. Stream sediment samples ranged in Hg concentration from 20 to 1,900 ng/g, and only 5 of the 17 collected samples exceeded the probable effect concentration for Hg of 1,060 ng/g, above which harmful effects are likely to be observed in sediment-dwelling organisms. Concentrations of methyl-Hg in Tiber River sediment varied from 0.12 to 0.52 ng/g, and although there is no established guideline for sediment methyl-Hg, these concentrations exceeded methyl-Hg in a regional baseline site (<0.02 ng/g). Concentrations of Hg in stream water varied from 1.2 to 320 ng/L, all of which were below the 1,000 ng/L Italian drinking water Hg guideline and the 770 ng/L U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guideline recommended to protect against chronic effects to aquatic wildlife. Methyl-Hg concentrations in stream water varied from <0.02 to 0.53 ng/L and were generally elevated compared to the baseline site (<0.02 ng/L). All stream water samples contained concentrations of As (<1.0–6.2 μg/L) and Sb (<0.20–0.37 μg/L) below international drinking water guidelines to protect human health (10 μg/L for As and 20 μg/L for Sb) and for protection against chronic effects to aquatic wildlife (150 μg/L for As and 5.6 μg/L for Sb). Concentrations of Hg in freshwater fish muscle ranged from 0.052–0.56 μg/g (wet weight), mean of 0.17 μg/g, but only 17 % (9 of 54) exceeded the 0.30 μg/g (wet weight) USEPA fish muscle guideline recommended to protect human health. Concentrations of Hg in freshwater fish in this region generally decreased with increasing distance from the MAMD, where fish with the highest Hg concentrations were collected more proximal to the MAMD, whereas all fish collected most distal from Hg mines contained Hg below the 0.30 μg/g fish muscle guideline. Data in this study indicate some conversion of inorganic Hg to methyl-Hg and uptake of Hg in fish on the Paglia River, but less methylation of Hg and Hg uptake by freshwater fish in the larger Tiber River.     

Levels and trends of industrial chemicals (PCBs, PFCs, PBDEs) in archived herring gull eggs from German coastal regions

Background

Polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], perfluorinated compounds, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs] were retrospectively analyzed in archived herring gull (Larus argentatus) eggs from the North and the Baltic Sea over the last 20 years. The aim was to assess temporal trends and effects of regulatory measures.

Results

PCBs (sum of 7 congeners) were highest in eggs from the North Sea island Trischen, i.e., 3,710 to 20,760 ng/g lipid weight [lw] compared to 2,530 to 11,650 ng/g lw on the North Sea island Mellum and 4,840 to 9,190 ng/g lw on the Baltic Sea island Heuwiese. During the study period, PCBs decreased significantly. Concentrations of PFOS ranged between 46 and 170 ng/g wet weight [ww] at Trischen, 39 to 99 ng/g ww at Mellum, and 20 to 159 ng/g ww at Heuwiese. Since 2000 and 2003, concentration levels decreased in eggs from Mellum and Heuwiese, respectively. Perfluorooctanoic acid was the dominant perfluorinated carboxylic acid in the North Sea eggs (Trischen 2.0 to 74 ng/g ww; Mellum 2.6 to 118 ng/g ww), whereas perfluoroundecanoate [PFUnA] and perfluorodecanoate [PFDA] (means 3.9 ± 3.6 ng/g and 2.9 ± 2.3 ng/g ww, respectively) dominated in the Baltic Sea eggs. At all three locations, longer-chained perfluorinated carboxylic acids (perfluorononanoate, PFDA, PFUnA, perfluorododecanoate) increased during the monitoring period. PBDE concentrations (sum of 35 congeners) in eggs were in the ranges of 282 to 2,059 ng/g lw (Mellum), 116 to 1,722 ng/g (Trischen), and 232 to 2,021 ng/g lw (Heuwiese). Congeners associated with commercial Penta- and Octa-BDE formulations decreased during the study period. No decrease was observed for technical Deca-BDE.

Conclusion

Effects of regulatory measures were apparent for PCBs and Penta- and Octa-BDE, while no consistent trend is noticeable for PFOS.     

Mercury bioaccumulation in estuarine food webs

We tested for unintended mercury contamination problems associated with estuarine floodplain restoration projects of the Louisiana coastal zone, USA. Barataria Bay and Breton Sound are two neighboring deltaic estuaries that were isolated by levees from the Mississippi River about 100 years ago. These estuaries recently have been reconnected to the nutrient-rich Mississippi River, starting major river diversion (input) flows in 1991 for Breton Sound and in 2004 for Barataria Bay. We collected > 2100 fish over five years from 20 stations in these estuaries to test two hypotheses about Hg bioaccumulation: (H1) Background Hg bioaccumulation in fish would be highest in low-salinity upper reaches of estuaries, and (H2) recent river inputs to these upper estuarine areas would increase Hg bioaccumulation in fish food webs. For H1, we surveyed fish Hg concentrations at several stations along a salinity gradient in Barataria Bay in 2003-2004, a time when this estuary lacked strong river inputs. Results showed that average Hg concentrations in fish communities were lowest (150 ng/g dry mass) in higher salinity areas and -2.4x higher (350 ng/g) in low-salinity oligohaline and freshwater upper reaches of the estuary. For H2, we tested for enhanced Hg bioaccumulation following diversion onset in both estuaries. Fish communities from Breton Sound that had long-term (> 10 years) diversion inputs had -1.7x higher average Hg contents of 610 ng/g Hg vs. 350 ng/g background values. Shorter-term diversion inputs over 2-3 years in upper Barataria Bay did not result in strong Hg enrichments or stable C isotope increases seen in Breton Sound, even though N and S stable-isotope values indicated strong river inputs in both estuaries. It may be that epiphyte communities on abundant submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are important hotspots for Hg cycling in these estuaries, and observed lesser development of these epiphyte communities in upper Barataria Bay during the first years of diversion inputs may account for the lessened Hg bioaccumulation in fish. A management consideration from this study is that river restoration projects may unintentionally fertilize SAV and epiphyte-based food webs, leading to higher Hg bioaccumulation in river-impacted floodplains and their food webs.     

Concentration of arsenic in water, sediments and fish species from naturally contaminated rivers

Arsenic (As) may occur in surface freshwater ecosystems as a consequence of both natural contamination and anthropogenic activities. In this paper, As concentrations in muscle samples of 10 fish species, sediments and surface water from three naturally contaminated rivers in a central region of Argentina are reported. The study area is one of the largest regions in the world with high As concentrations in groundwater. However, information of As in freshwater ecosystems and associated biota is scarce. An extensive spatial variability of As concentrations in water and sediments of sampled ecosystems was observed. Geochemical indices indicated that sediments ranged from mostly unpolluted to strongly polluted. The concentration of As in sediments averaged 6.58 μg/g ranging from 0.23 to 59.53 μg/g. Arsenic in sediments barely followed (r = 0.361; p = 0.118) the level of contamination of water. All rivers showed high concentrations of As in surface waters, ranging from 55 to 195 μg/L. The average concentration of As in fish was 1.76 μg/g. The level of contamination with As differed significantly between species. Moreover, the level of bioaccumulation of As in fish species related to the concentration of As in water and sediments also differed between species. Whilst some fish species seemed to be able to regulate the uptake of this metalloid, the concentration of As in the large catfish Rhamdia quelen mostly followed the concentration of As in abiotic compartments. The erratic pattern of As concentrations in fish and sediments regardless of the invariable high levels in surface waters suggests the existence of complex biogeochemical processes behind the distribution patterns of As in these naturally contaminated ecosystems.     

Element levels in cultured and wild sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) from the Adriatic Sea and potential risk assessment

In this study, the role of aquaculture activity as a source of selected metals was analyzed. Significant differences in element content between cultured (Dicentrarchus labrax, Sparus aurata) and wild fishes as well as between fish muscle and their feed were detected. Higher concentrations of trace elements (i.e., As, Cu, Hg, Se) in wild fish tissues in comparison with cultured ones indicate additional sources of metals beside fish feed as natural and/or anthropogenic sources. Generally, mean Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, and Zn concentrations in cultured (0.016, 1.79, 0.14, 0.87, and 34.32 μg/g, respectively) and wild (0.011, 1.97, 0.10, 1.78, and 23,54 μg/g, respectively) fish samples were below the permissible levels, while mean As (2.57 μg/g in cultured, 4.77 μg/g in wild) and Cr (5.25 μg/g in cultured, 2.92 μg/g in wild) values exceeded those limits. Hg values were lower in cultured (0.17 μg/g) and higher in wild (1.04 μg/g) fish specimens. The highest elemental concentrations were observed in almost all fish samples from Kor?ula sampling site. The smallest cultured sea basses showed As (4.01 μg/g), Cr (49.10 μg/g), Pb (0.65 μg/g), and Zn (136 μg/g) concentrations above the recommended limits; however, values decreased as fish size increased. Therefore, the majority of metal concentrations in commercial fishes showed no problems for human consumption. Also calculated Se:Hg molar ratios (all >1) and selenium health benefit values (Se-HBVs) (all positive) showed that consumption of all observed fishes in human nutrition is not risk.     

Fish as an indicator of aquatic environment: Multielemental neutron activation analysis of nutrient and pollutant elements in fish from Indian coastal areas

Fish is the main food in coastal areas and its analysis for toxic metals has been used as an indicator of the pollution status of the aquatic environment. Several different fish species from the three Indian coasts, Visakhapatnam in the east, Mumbai in the west and Mangalore in the south west and also inland freshwater fish from Nagpur in the central region for comparison were analyzed for up to 20 elements (As, Au, Ba, Br, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Na, P, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Zn) by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Dried fish samples in powdered form were irradiated with thermal neutrons in a nuclear reactor followed by high resolution gamma ray spectrometry at different intervals. Several Reference Materials (RMs) of biological origin were analyzed for quality assurance and data validation. Elemental contents in different fish species vary in a wide range depending on the species, its size, location, and aquatic environment. Fish from Mangalore showed highest mean contents of Cr (14.8?±?29.9?µg?g^?1), Cu (1005?±?643?µg?g^?1) and Sb (849?±?888?ng?g^?1) whereas those from Mumbai exhibited highest Hg (2066?±?2146?ng?g^?1) and P (20.3?±?4.63?µg?g^?1) but lowest Cu (6.30?±?3.10?µg?g^?1) contents. Fish from all the regions showed significant amounts of nutrient elements such as Na, K, P, Mn, Fe, Se and Zn as well as some pollutant elements (Br, Cr, Sb, Hg). No regularity in variation of elemental contents with the size was observed. Prawn (Panaeus latisulcatus), a popular fish species from four different regions showed wide variation in elemental contents of Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Se, P including toxic pollutants, Sb and Hg. An attempt has been made to calculate daily dietary intake (DDI) for some nutrient elements from Indian fish. Elemental data for Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Se, and Zn have been compared with those from other fish exporting countries.     

Persistent organochlorine pesticides,polychlorinated biphenyls,polybrominated diphenyl ethers in fish from coastal waters off Savannah,GA, USA

Contamination profiles of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in six fish species from three selected regions along coastal waters off Savannah, GA, USA. Concentrations of PCBs were predominant (12–493 ng g^?1 lw) followed by PBDEs (10–337 ng g^?1 lw), OCPs such as DDTs (2.7–153 ng g^?1 lw), chlordanes (3.8–34 ng g^?1 lw), cyclodienes (<0.1–35 ng g^?1 lw), mirex (<0.1–8.6 ng g^?1 lw), γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (<0.1–1.4 ng g^?1 lw), and hexachlorobenzene (<0.1–0.68 ng g^?1 lw). The results indicated no region-specific difference in the contaminants however inter-species as well as intra-species differences were evident. Comparison of DDTs, PCBs, and PBDEs profiles in fish with those from other countries revealed that fish from coastal waters off Savannah contained relatively less concentrations of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides, while PBDE concentrations were comparable or even higher than fish samples from other regions. Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and chlorinated pesticide tempoal trend data exhibited no increase of contamination levels. The levels of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in fish from Savannah coastal waters were below the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) established limits for human consumption.     

Toxicology of arsenic in fish and aquatic systems

Arsenic (As) is found in waters such as seawater, warm springs, groundwater, rivers, and lakes. In aquatic environments, As occurs as a mixture of arsenate and arsenite, with arsenate usually predominating. The unrestricted application of As pesticides, industrial activities, and mining operations has led to the global occurrence of soluble As above permissible levels of 0.010 mg/L. Continuous exposure of freshwater organisms including fish to low concentrations of As results in bioaccumulation, notably in liver and kidney. As a consequence As induces hyperglycemia, depletion of enzymatic activities, various acute and chronic toxicity, and immune system dysfunction. Here we review arsenic chemistry, the occurrence of arsenic in aquatic system, the transformation and metabolism of arsenic; arsenic bioaccumulation and bioconcentration; behavioral changes; and acute and other effects such as biochemical, immunotoxic, and cytogenotoxic effects on fish.     

Metabolic response under different salinity and temperature conditions for glass eel Anguilla japonica

Diadromous fish often enter freshwater directly from seawater via fish ladders or channels built in estuarine dams. The oxygen consumption rates (OCR) of glass eel, Anguilla japonica, were determined using an automatic intermittent flow respirometer under various salinity and temperature regimes to physiologically explain this direct movement. The endogenous rhythm of the OCR in wild glass eels, freshly collected from estuaries, was nearly synchronous with the tidal pattern at the estuarine collection site. When the salinity was changed from 20 psu (12°C) at a constant temperature to that of freshwater, the OCR of the glass eels decreased by 21.6±7.0% (mean ± SD) (P<0.05), showing a dampened rhythm for about 48 h. After this period of impediment, the glass eels resumed normal metabolic activity. Direct migration from seawater to freshwater under constant temperature would result in a severe physiological stress for these glass eels for about two days. When the glass eels were exposed to a cyclic change in water temperature of 2°C 26 h⁻¹, as they encounter in estuaries, and then were introduced to freshwater abruptly, the OCR rhythm corresponded to the cyclic changes in water temperature after exposure to freshwater. Under these conditions, the mean OCR of the glass eels had a small difference before and after exposure to freshwater. These data explained how glass eels can directly move from sea water into the freshwater without any apparent metabolic stress in the estuaries showing cyclic change in water temperature (Δt=2°C).