Monitoring polycyclic aromatic compounds exposure in fish using biliary metabolites

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are a class of organic contaminants whose toxicity and persistence pose a threat to fish health. In many locations, anthropogenic inputs represent the most prominent source of these compounds. Thus, quantifying fish exposure to PACs is important for assessing ecosystem health and anthropogenic inputs. Quantitation of biliary PAC metabolites is the most accurate method for determining short-term exposure of resident fish to these compounds and is often used as a biomarker for fish health. Such analyses have been conducted worldwide on many different species of fish and with a variety of instrumentation. Here, PAC metabolism and toxicity in fish are reviewed, as are the different methodologies used to analyze metabolite-containing bile. Recent environmental monitoring studies are presented, compared, and contrasted to highlight important findings and novel applications of the technique. These include instances of the biomarker being used to assess the extent of PAC pollution from oil spills and tracking the subsequent recovery of the affected region, establishing baseline PAC exposure in pristine areas, and assessing pollution in urban waterways. By exploring global perspectives of PAC exposure and metabolites in fish, insights into the most effective ways to implement environmental monitoring are presented.