title: Assessment of biomarkers for contaminants of emerging concern on aquatic organisms downstream of a municipal wastewater discharge.
abstract: Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products and estrogens, are detected in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges. However, analytical monitoring of wastewater and surface water does not indicate whether CECs are affecting the organisms downstream. In this study, fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and freshwater mussels Pyganodon grandis Say, 1829 (synonym: Anodonta grandis Say, 1829) were caged for 4 weeks in the North Saskatchewan River, upstream and downstream of the discharge from the WWTP that serves the Edmonton, AB, Canada. Passive samplers deployed indicated that concentrations of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, an estrogen (estrone) and an androgen (androstenedione) were elevated at sites downstream of the WWTP discharge. Several biomarkers of exposure were significantly altered in the tissues of caged fathead minnows and freshwater mussels relative to the upstream reference sites. Biomarkers altered in fish included induction of CYP3A metabolism, an increase in vitellogenin (Vtg) gene expression in male minnows, elevated ratios of oxidized to total glutathione (i.e. GSSG/TGSH), and an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (i.e. glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase). In mussels, there were no significant changes in biomarkers of oxidative stress and the levels of Vtg-like proteins were reduced, not elevated, indicating a generalized stress response. Immune function was altered in mussels, as indicated by elevated lysosomal activity per hemocyte in P. grandis caged closest to the wastewater discharge. This immune response may be due to exposure to bacterial pathogens in the wastewater. Multivariate analysis indicated a response to the CECs Carbamazepine (CBZ) and Trimethoprim (TPM). Overall, these data indicate that there is a 1 km zone of impact for aquatic organisms downstream of WWTP discharge. However, multiple stressors in municipal wastewater make measurement and interpretation of impact of CECs difficult since water temperature, conductivity and bacteria are also inducing biomarker responses in both fish and mussels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Edyta J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jasinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Electronic address: greg.goss@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Greg G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Gillis
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Glen J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Van Der Kraak
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: de Souza Machado
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giacomin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massarsky
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gagné
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Servos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tamanna
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.affiliation: Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Chris D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004970:Estrone; D005618:Fresh Water; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D012525:Saskatchewan; D049876:Unionidae / Q000378:metabolism; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004970:Estrone; D014819:Vitellogenins; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Endocrine disrupting compounds; Fathead minnows; Freshwater mussels; Oxidative stress; Passive samplers; Wastewater pollution