Effects of heavy metals on sea urchin embryo development. Part 2. Interactive toxic effects of heavy metals in synthetic mine effluents

Interactive toxic effects between heavy metals were investigated using a sea urchin (Anthocidaris crassispina) bioassay. An effluent from an abandoned mine showed significant inhibitory effects on embryo development as well as producing specific malformations. The effects on the embryos were reproduced by synthetic polluted seawater consisting of eight metals (manganese, lead, cadmium, nickel, zinc, chromium, iron, and copper) at the concentrations detected in the mine effluent. This indicated that the heavy metals were responsible for the effects observed. Five heavy metals were ranked in decreasing order of toxicity as follows: Cu>Zn>Pb>Fe>Mn. Among these, zinc and manganese could cause malformation of the embryos. From bioassay results using 27 combinations of heavy metals, 16 combinations including zinc could produce specific malformations, such as radialized, exo-gastrulal, and spaceship Apollo-like gastrulal embryos. Zinc was one of the elements responsible for causing malformations and its effects were intensified by the presence of the other metals, such as manganese, lead, iron, and copper.     

Polychlorinated-dibenzo-p-dioxins, -dibenzofurans and -dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic organisms from lake Kasumigaura,Japan

Polychlorinated-dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), -dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and -dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DLPCBs) were determined in aquatic wildlife of Kasumigaura Lake (KUL), Japan from 1978 to 2001. Two plankton species elucidated several fold greater concentrations (2400–7800) than small tiger fish (310–6500), shrimp (160–1100), and three large fish namely, black bass (120–240), carp (94–120) and mullet (54) on pg/g fat. PCDD homologues were predominant accumulants with >68–<95% contribution and remaining was shared by PCDFs. Accumulation, non-ortho DLPCBs in plankton (3500–9200), shrimp (1600–8600) and small fish (2000–8800) and large fish (1300–3900) on ng/g fat basis were several orders magnitude greater than PCDD/DFs. The mono-ortho DLPCBs in large fish species were 23?000–83?000?ng/g fat and which it is accounted 94.3–95.9% the total dioxin-like PCBs accumulation. Temporal trends of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs and TEQ in shrimp and small tiger fish were varied. The mullet had minimum toxic equivalency “TEQ” (14?pg?TEQ/g) followed by plankton Neomysis intermedia (25?pg?TEQ/g), small tiger fish (mean: 33, ranges 14–66?pg?TEQ/g), plankton Cyclopus vicinus (34?pg?TEQ/g), carp (mean: 35, ranges 32–38?pg?TEQ/g), shrimp (mean: 38, ranges 11–68?pg?TEQ/g) and black bass (mean: 59, ranges 38–79?pg?TEQ/g) on fat basis. In all the samples, PCDD was predominant TEQ contributor followed by PCDFs and DLPCBs. The contribution of mono-ortho DLPCBs to the total TEQ was 0.52–0.92 in large fish.     

Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants in black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) from Hokkaido, Japan

Concentrations and patterns of several chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls (PCBs) and DDTs, HCHs, CHLs and HCB were determined in black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) from breeding grounds in Hokkaido, Japan. Subcutaneous fat of five adult gulls was analyzed, which had different concentrations of target compounds, whereas gull eggs contained similar concentrations of target compounds. Similar congener profiles were found between adult gulls and eggs. The concentrations of non-ortho PCBs varied from 3.4 to 13.5 ng/g lipid weight (lw) in the fat of black-tailed gulls and from 2.4 to 7.4 ng/g lw in their eggs. 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs occurred at relatively lower concentrations than non-ortho PCB congeners in both adult gulls and eggs. The total TEQs (toxic equivalents, PCDD/Fs+ non-ortho PCB) ranged from 0.26 to 1.0 ng/g lw in adult gulls and ranged from 0.19 to 0.58 ng/g lw in eggs.     

Estimation of effects of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs on wildlife population--a case study on common cormorant

We presented a method for quantitatively evaluating the effects of chemical pollutants in the environment on a wildlife population. We expressed the effects of exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in Tokyo Bay sediment on a common cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) population in two ways. One was the changes in the intrinsic growth rate, and the other was the changes in the gross population size. The effects of exposure to the compounds were estimated by using the method of population ecology and available field data. Common cormorant population at Shinobazu Pond in Tokyo, Japan during 1974-1986 was selected as the target population. Intrinsic growth rate or gross size of the population based on the calculated residual level of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in the period was estimated to decrease to 89% or 85% of that without exposure to the compounds, respectively.     

Effects of heavy metals on sea urchin embryo development. 1. Tracing the cause by the effects

The toxicity of the polluted waters originating from a disused lead mine was evaluated using both sea urchin bioassays and heavy metal analysis. Samples from three polluted waters (a seawater and two freshwaters) were collected from the mine area and one seawater sample was taken from a non-contaminated reference site. The test waters contained higher concentrations of heavy metals such as manganese, lead, cadmium, zinc, chromium, nickel, iron, and copper than did ambient seawater. The three test waters had inhibitory effects, in a dose-dependent manner, on the first cleavage of sea urchin embryos and on pluteus formation during the development. Some malformations, such as a radialized pluteus, exo-gastrula, and spaceship Apollo-like embryos were induced by the test waters without dilution. Zinc alone also induced the same anomaly. Zinc in the test seawater was ascertained as one of the metals that caused the anomalies, but not all of the toxicity was caused by zinc. It was speculated that interactive effects, involving zinc and possibly manganese and nickel, were occurring.     

Concentrations of perfluorinated acids in livers of birds from Japan and Korea

Livers of birds collected from Japan and Korea (n = 83) were analyzed to determine the concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHS). PFOS was found in the livers of 95% of the birds analyzed at concentrations greater than the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 10 ng/g, wet weight. The greatest concentration of PFOS of 650 ng/g, wet weight, was found in the liver of a common cormorant from the Sagami River in Kanagawa Prefecture. Concentrations of PFOS in bird livers from Japan and Korea were within the ranges of values reported for those from the United States and certain European countries. PFOA and PFHS were found in 5-10% of the samples analyzed. The greatest concentrations of PFOA and PFHS in bird livers were 21 and 34 ng/g, wet weight, respectively. FOSA was found in all the samples (n = 10) of cormorants collected from the Sagami River in Japan. The greatest concentration of FOSA in cormorant liver was 215 ng/g, wet weight. There was no significant correlation between the concentrations of PFOS and FOSA in cormorants collected from the Sagami River. These results suggested that the distribution of FOSA is localized. No age- or gender-specific differences in fluorochemical concentrations could be discerned in birds.