Teleost fish (Solea solea): a novel model for ecotoxicological assay of contaminated sediments.
Chemical analysis of sediment is not indicative of the downstream biological effects on aquatic organisms. In this study, the biological effects of sediment were examined using: Teleost fish (Solea solea), Artemia and rotifers. Although chemicals levels were below the limits permissible by Italian law, S. solea juveniles exposed to sediment (0.3%, w/v) for 96 h, revealed significant induction in the expression levels of HSP70, ERα, TRα, RXRα, PPARα, PPARβ, CYP4501A1 and CYP3A mRNAs, suggesting the utility of this species as a novel biosensor. The bio-toxicity of the sediment was further validated by exposing Artemia and rotifers to concentrations of elutriate (derived from the sediment) from 10 to 100% (v/v) (with a 50% mortality rate). These results suggest that sediment defined as moderately contaminated, solely on the basis of the chemical profile, may in fact cause harmful effects to aquatic organisms. This study highlights the need for biological approaches in the establishment of sediment toxicity levels.
Dipartimento di Scienze della vita e dell'ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
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C
Ribecco
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G
Hardiman
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R
Sášik
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S
Vittori
O
O
Carnevali
D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia / Q000187:drug effects; D001681:Biological Assay; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods*; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D012403:Rotifera / Q000187:drug effects; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
D015415:Biomarkers; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical