title: Linking Ah receptor mediated effects of sediments and impacts on fish to key pollutants in the Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir, China - A comprehensive perspective.
abstract: The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), created in consequence of the Yangtze River's impoundment by the Three Gorges Dam, faces numerous anthropogenic impacts that challenge its unique ecosystem. Organic pollutants, particularly aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, have been widely detected in the Yangtze River, but only little research was yet done on AhR-mediated activities. Hence, in order to assess effects of organic pollution, with particular focus on AhR-mediated activities, several sites in the TGR area were examined applying the "triad approach". It combines chemical analysis, in vitro, in vivo and in situ investigations to a holistic assessment. Sediments and the benthic fish species Pelteobagrus vachellii were sampled in 2011/2012, respectively, to identify relevant endpoints. Sediment was tested in vitro with the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) induction assay, and in vivo with the Fish Embryo Toxicity Test and Sediment Contact Assay with Danio rerio. Activities of phase I (EROD) and phase II (glutathione-S-transferase) biotransformation enzymes, pollutant metabolites and histopathological alterations were studied in situ in P. vachellii. EROD induction was tested in vitro and in situ to evaluate possible relationships. Two sites, near Chongqing and Kaixian city, were identified as regional hot-spots and further investigated in 2013. The sediments induced in the in vitro/in vivo bioassays AhR-mediated activities and embryotoxic/teratogenic effects - particularly on the cardiovascular system. These endpoints could be significantly correlated to each other and respective chemical data. However, particle-bound pollutants showed only low bioavailability. The in situ investigations suggested a rather poor condition of P. vachellii, with histopathological alterations in liver and excretory kidney. Fish from Chongqing city exhibited significant hepatic EROD induction and obvious parasitic infestations. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene was detected in bile of fish from all sites. All endpoints in combination with the chemical data suggest a pivotal role of PAHs in the observed ecotoxicological impacts.
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: floehr@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Tilman
authors: T
authors: Floehr
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: bjoern.scholz-starke@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Björn
authors: B
authors: Scholz-Starke
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: xiao.hongxia@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Hongxia
authors: H
authors: Xiao
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany. Electronic address: hhercht@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Hendrik
authors: H
authors: Hercht
authors: Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China. Electronic address: wulingling@tongji.edu.cn.
authors: Lingling
authors: L
authors: Wu
authors: East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai 200090, PR China. Electronic address: junlihou01@gmail.com.
authors: Junli
authors: J
authors: Hou
authors: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: heike.schmidt@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors: Heike
authors: H
authors: Schmidt-Posthaus
authors: Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, 3001 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: helmut.segner@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Segner
authors: Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, 22767 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: ulrike.kammann@ti.bund.de.
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Kammann
authors: College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, PR China. Electronic address: 1072000659@qq.com.
authors: Xingzhong
authors: X
authors: Yuan
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, PR China. Electronic address: ross@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Roß-Nickoll
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Research Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China. Electronic address: andreas.schaeffer@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Schäffer
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, ABBt - Aachen Biology and Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Research Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China. Electronic address: Henner.Hollert@bio5.rwth-aachen.de.
authors: Henner
authors: H
authors: Hollert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1
keywords: AhR; EROD; Fish; PAH; Sediment; Yangtze Three Gorges Reservoir