title: Limitations of waterborne exposure of fish early life stages to BDE-47.
abstract: 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is acknowledged as the most abundant congener of all polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Despite its limited residence in the water column, most ecotoxicological research using fish early life stages (ELS) has focused on its waterborne bioavailability. These studies have been supported either by chemical analysis in solutions or in tissues after ≤ 168 h exposures to relatively high waterborne concentrations with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent carrier (≤ 0.5%). Using noninvasive physiological and anatomical features in medaka ELS, we investigated the viability of waterborne BDE-47 exposures (100-10,000 μg/L; 1% DMSO) and evaluated the developmental effects in relation to the actual BDE-47 present in water. Embryos were exposed for 10 days under semi-static (24-h renewal) conditions and waterborne BDE-47 concentrations (i.e., dissolved) were quantitated daily and their accumulation in eleutheroembryonic tissues was analyzed 4 days after exposures finished. BDE-47 in solution rapidly decreased after each renewal by >50% in 24h. This was confirmed by discernible precipitation occurring at ≥ 5,000 μg/L on the bottom of the container and attached to the chorionic filaments of eggshell. The fast dissipation from water may explain why, besides the subtle, yet significant effects on post-hatching growth (short length at ≥5000μg/L), no other significant deleterious developmental effects were observed despite the fact that BDE-47 accumulated in tissues in response to BDE-47 treatment. Waterborne BDE-47 exposure was unachievable under traditional semi-static exposure conditions, but was achievable in repeated pulse exposures lasting a few hours whenever the medium was renewed. Hence, this research encourages the use of alternate - more realistic - exposure routes (e.g., particulate matter or sediments) when evaluating early developmental toxicity of BDE-47 or any other PBDE sharing similar properties.
authors: Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Department of the Environment, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, A-6, Km. 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: miguelgd@inia.es.
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: González-Doncel
authors: Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Department of the Environment, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, A-6, Km. 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Carlos Fernández
authors: CF
authors: Torija
authors: Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Department of the Environment, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, A-6, Km. 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Eulalia María
authors: EM
authors: Beltrán
authors: Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Complutense University, Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: José Enrique
authors: JE
authors: García-Mauriño
authors: Laboratory of Forest Soils, Department of Forest Ecology, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, A-6, Km. 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Salvador
authors: S
authors: Sastre
authors: Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Department of the Environment, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, A-6, Km. 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Gregoria
authors: G
authors: Carbonell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000187:drug effects; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D009990:Oryzias / Q000502:physiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C511295:2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether
keywords: Analytical chemistry; Bioaccumulation; Fish embryo toxicity; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers