title: Biomarkers indicate mixture toxicities of fluorene and phenanthrene with endosulfan toward earthworm (Eisenia fetida).
abstract: α-Endosulfan and some polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs) are persistent in the environment and can reach crop products via contaminated agricultural soils. They may even be present as mixtures in the soil and induce mixture toxicity in soil organisms such as earthworms. In this study, the combined toxicities of PAHs with α-endosulfan were determined in Eisenia fetida adults using an artificial soil system. α-Endosulfan and five PAHs were tested for their acute toxicity toward E. fetida in artificial soils. Only α-endosulfan, fluorene, and phenanthrene showed acute toxicities, with LC50values of 9.7, 133.2, and 86.2 mg kg-1, respectively. A mixture toxicity assay was conducted using α-endosulfan at LC10and fluorene or phenanthrene at LC50in the artificial soils. Upon exposure to the mixture of fluorene and α-endosulfan, earthworms were killed in increasing numbers owing to their synergistic effects, while no other mixture showed any additional toxicity toward the earthworms. Along with the acute toxicity results, the biochemical and molecular changes in the fluorene- and phenanthrene-treated earthworms with or without α-endosulfan treatment demonstrated that enhancement of glutathione S-transferase activity was dependent on the addition of PAH chemicals, and the HSP70 gene expression increased with the addition of α-endosulfan. Taken together, these findings contribute toward understanding the adverse effects of pollutants when present separately or in combination with other types of chemicals.
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Hoon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Leesun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwang-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeongnam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Environment, Korea Biochar Research Center, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ok
authors.affiliation: School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Deuk
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea. selpest@knu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sung-Eun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7690-9956
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D043182:Carboxylesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D045424:Complex Mixtures / Q000633:toxicity; D004726:Endosulfan / Q000633:toxicity*; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D045424:Complex Mixtures; D005449:Fluorenes; D010616:Phenanthrenes; D010743:Phospholipids; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012989:Soil Pollutants; C041509:fluorene; C031181:phenanthrene; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D043182:Carboxylesterase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D004726:Endosulfan
keywords: Biomarker; Eisenia fetida; MALDI-TOF MS; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; α-Endosulfan