Biomarkers of Contaminant Exposure in Chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.) - Biomonitoring of Major Rivers in the Czech Republic.

Marcela Havelkova,Tomas Randak,Jana Blahova,Drahomira Leontovycova,Roman Grabic,Zdenka Svobodova,Richard Pospisil,Iveta Slatinska,Hana Kroupova

doi:10.3390/s8042589

Abstract

Biochemical analysis of organisms to assess exposure to environmental contaminants is of great potential use. Biochemical markers, specifically liver enzymes of the first and the second phase of xenobiotic transformation - cytochrome P450 (CYP 450), ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and tripeptide reduced glutathione (GSH) - were used to assess contamination of the aquatic environment at 12 locations near the mouths of major rivers in the Czech Republic. These rivers were the Lužnice, Otava, Sázava, Berounka, Vltava, Labe, Ohře, Svratka, Dyje, Morava and Odra. The indicator species selected was the Chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.). The highest levels of CYP 450 and EROD catalytic activity were found in livers of fish from the Labe (Obříství) (0.32±0.10 nmol mg-1 protein and 1061.38±545.51 pmol min-1 mg-1 protein, respectively). The highest levels of GST catalytic activity and GSH content were found in fish from the Otava (35.39±13.35 nmol min-1 mg-1 protein and 4.29±2.10 nmol GSH mg-1 protein, respectively). They were compared with levels of specific inductors of these biochemical markers in muscle. The results confirmed contamination of some river locations (Labe Obříství, Svratka).

Highlights

The need for assessment of aquatic ecosystem contamination and of its impact on water dwelling organisms has developed in response to rising aquatic environmental pollution, by agricultural and industrial contaminants, in the past several decades
The highest EROD activity in liver was in fish from the Labe (Obříství) (1061.38±545.51 pmol min-1 mg-1 protein), and the lowest EROD activity was in the Morava (183.04±48.20 pmol min-1 mg-1 protein) (Figure 4)
The major inducers of commonly monitored biomarkers are contaminants that belong to a large group of organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and PCDD/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), persistent in the environment

Summary

Introduction

The need for assessment of aquatic ecosystem contamination and of its impact on water dwelling organisms has developed in response to rising aquatic environmental pollution, by agricultural and industrial contaminants, in the past several decades. Many of these pollutants are widespread in the environment, making the results of data collection complicated to interpret. Because environmental contaminants can have a broad spectrum of sublethal effects on organisms, bioindicators are useful tools for assessing the presence and levels of chemical pollution Such effects in organisms sensitive to contaminant exposures can be used as early warning signs for the degradation of the environment [6,7,8,9]

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