Evaluation of PAH Metabolites in Bile of Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio L. with Fixed Wavelength Fluorescence in a Field and Laboratory Study

Abstract

The seasonal and inter-gender variability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in the bile of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was investigated with a field study in Karakaya Dam Lake (KDL) and a laboratory-conducted study with the fish samples of KDL and Sultansuyu Dam Lake (Turkey). The KDL has been polluted by urban, industrial, and agricultural activities for many years. A seasonal trend was seen in PAH metabolite levels with higher levels detected in May 2005 samples in KDL. Their levels in the bile of fish were not found to be related to sex which showed that gender is not a confounding factor on PAH uptake. The results showed significant decreases in bile metabolite levels in the KDL fish by approximately 75% versus increases in the SDL fish after acclimation at laboratory conditions. These results supported that PAH metabolites in bile were not stable and short-term differences in living conditions may lead to great differences in their levels. Moreover, these rapid changes in bile metabolites with acclimation may also indicate that dam lakes were not badly polluted with PAHs and the feeding status of fish should be taken into consideration when using bile metabolites as biomarkers.