title: Biological plausibility as a tool to associate analytical data for micropollutants and effect potentials in wastewater, surface water, and sediments with effects in fishes.
abstract: Discharge of substances like pesticides, pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, and chelating agents in surface waters has increased over the last decades due to the rising numbers of chemicals used by humans and because many WWTPs do not eliminate these substances entirely. The study, results of which are presented here, focused on associations of (1) concentrations of micropollutants in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, surface waters, sediments, and tissues of fishes; (2) results of laboratory biotests indicating potentials for effects in these samples and (3) effects either in feral chub (Leuciscus cephalus) from two German rivers (Schussen, Argen) or in brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed in bypass systems to streamwater of these rivers or in cages directly in the rivers. The Schussen and Argen Rivers flow into Lake Constance. The Schussen River is polluted by a great number of chemicals, while the Argen River is less influenced by micropollutants. Pesticides, chelating agents, flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected in effluents of a WWTP discharging to the Schussen as well as in surface water, and/or fishes from downstream of the WWTP. Results obtained by biotests conducted in the laboratory (genotoxicity, dioxin-like toxicity, and embryotoxicity) were linked to effects in feral fish collected in the vicinity of the WWTP or in fishes exposed in cages or at the bypass systems downstream of the WWTP. Dioxin-like effect potentials detected by reporter gene assays were associated with activation of CYP1A1 enzymes in fishes which are inducible by dioxin-like chemicals. Abundances of several PCBs in tissues of fishes from cages and bypass systems were not associated with these effects but other factors can influence EROD activity. Genotoxic potentials obtained by in vitro tests were associated with the presence of micronuclei in erythrocytes of chub from the river. Chemicals potentially responsible for effects on DNA were identified. Embryotoxic effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio), investigated in the laboratory, were associated with embryotoxic effects in trout exposed in streamwater bypass systems at the two rivers. In general, responses at all levels of organization were more pronounced in samples from the Schussen than in those from the Argen. These results are consistent with the magnitudes of chemical pollution in these two streams. Plausibility chains to establish causality between exposures and effects and to predict effects in biota in the river from studies in the laboratory are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: diana.maier@uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ludek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blaha
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Veterinary Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; Department of Biology & Chemistry and State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henneberg
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Heinz-R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.affiliation: Estate Water Management, University of Stuttgart, Bandtäle 2, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Bertram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuch
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Raphaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osterauer
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peschke
authors.affiliation: DVGW Water Technology Center, Karlsruher Straße 84, D-76139 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: DVGW Water Technology Center, Karlsruher Straße 84, D-76139 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheurer
authors.affiliation: Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 20, D-72072 Tübingen, Germany; Steinbeis Transfer-Center for Ecotoxicology and Ecophysiology, Blumenstraße 13, D-72108 Rottenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Triebskorn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004147:Dioxins / Q000633:toxicity; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D005858:Germany; D048631:Micronucleus, Germline / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D004147:Dioxins; D009153:Mutagens; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biomarkers; Biotests; Dioxin-like toxicity; Embryotoxicity; Fish health; Genotoxicity