Acute toxicity of Bisphenol A (BPA) to tropical marine and estuarine species from different trophic groups.

Abstract

BPA is chemical pollutant of very high concern due to its toxicity to the environment and risks for human health. Environmental concern consists in BPA entrance into aquatic ecosystems due to acute and chronic toxicity to invertebrates and vertebrates. This study aimed to determine acute BPA toxicity to tropical estuarine-marine species of four trophic levels and integrate BPA toxicity values using species sensitivity distribution (SSD) analysis. Our hypothesis is that BPA toxicity increases towards higher trophic levels. Microalga (Tetraselmis sp.), zooplanktonic grazer (Artemia salina), deposit-feeder invertebrate (Heleobia australis), and omnivorous fish (Poecilia vivipara) were chosen as experimental models. Tetraselmis sp. showed the highest BPA tolerance, without a concentration-dependent response. Species sensitivity have increased from A.salina (LC50,96h=107.2mg L-1), followed by H.australis (LC50,96h=11.53.5mg L-1), to P.vivipara (LC50,96h=3.5mg L-1). Despite the toxicity hierarchy towards trophic levels, which partially supported our hypothesis, SSD did not evidence a clear pattern among estuarine-marine trophic groups. Our study disclosed the sensitivity of not yet investigated species to BPA and, in an integrative way, highlighted BPA toxic effects at different trophic levels. Although estimated acute hazardous concentration (HC5=1.18mgL-1) for estuarine and marine species was higher than environmentally relevant concentrations, sublethal adverse effects induced by BPA exposure may lead to unbalances in population levels and consequently affect the ecological functioning of tropical coastal systems.