title: Metabolomics for in situ environmental monitoring of surface waters impacted by contaminants from both point and nonpoint sources.
abstract: We investigated the efficacy of metabolomics for field-monitoring of fish exposed to wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and nonpoint sources of chemical contamination. Lab-reared male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas, FHM) were held in mobile monitoring units and exposed on-location to surface waters upstream and downstream of the effluent point source, as well as to the actual effluent at three different WWTP sites in Minnesota. After four days of exposure, livers were collected, extracted, and analyzed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and GC-MS to characterize responses of the hepatic metabolome. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed distinct metabolite profile changes in response to effluent exposure from each of the three WWTPs. Differences among locations (i.e., upstream, downstream, and effluent) within each of the three sites were also identified. These observed differences comport with land-use and WWTP characteristics at the study sites. For example, at one of the sites, the metabolomic analyses suggested a positive interactive response from exposure to WWTP effluent and nearby nonpoint (likely agricultural related) contamination. These findings demonstrate the utility of metabolomics as a field-based technique for monitoring the exposure of fish to impacted surface waters.
authors: U.S. EPA , National Exposure Research Laboratory, 960 College Station Rd., Athens, Georgia 30605, United States.
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Skelton
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: Ekman
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Martinović-Weigelt
authors: G T
authors: GT
authors: Ankley
authors: D L
authors: DL
authors: Villeneuve
authors: Q
authors: Q
authors: Teng
authors: T W
authors: TW
authors: Collette
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D055432:Metabolomics; D008910:Minnesota; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D002784:Cholesterol