Comparative developmental toxicity of eight typical organic pollutants to red sea bream (Pagrosomus major) embryos and larvae

Yanyan Zhao; Xinhong Wang; Xiaolong Lin; Songhe Zhao; Jianqing Lin

doi:10.1007/s11356-016-6282-4

Comparative developmental toxicity of eight typical organic pollutants to red sea bream (Pagrosomus major) embryos and larvae

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017 Apr;24(10):9067-9078. doi: 10.1007/s11356-016-6282-4. Epub 2016 Apr 30.

Authors

Yanyan Zhao¹, Xinhong Wang², Xiaolong Lin¹, Songhe Zhao¹, Jianqing Lin³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center for Exploitation and Utilization of Marine Biological Resources, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center for Exploitation and Utilization of Marine Biological Resources, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China. xhwang@xmu.edu.cn.
³ School of Bioengineering, Jimei University, Xiamen, 361021, China.

PMID: 27130341
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6282-4

Abstract

The red sea bream (Pagrosomus major) 48-h embryo-larval bioassay was used to assess and compare the developmental toxicities of eight typical organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organophosphorus pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and alkylphenol. Toxicological endpoints such as survival rates of P. major embryos or larvae and the rates of hatching and of malformation (oedema, condensed blood, spinal curvatures or eye abnormalities) were noted and described within 48 h of exposure. The LC₅₀, EC₅₀, no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) and lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) were calculated, based on the dose-response relationship. The results showed that exposures to all of the selected organic pollutants except for methyl parathion produced acute toxic effects on P. major embryos and larvae, at different levels of exposure. The levels of acute toxicity of the eight typical organic pollutants for P. major embryos and larvae showed the following trend: benzo(a)pyrene > malathion > PCB 126 > pyrene > nonylphenol > phenanthrene > monocrotophos > methyl parathion. However, the larvae were more sensitive to these pollutants than embryos, according to the calculated LC₅₀, EC₅₀, NOEC and LOEC. This increased sensitivity of larvae could have resulted from losing the natural barrier function of the egg shell membrane. Benzo(a)pyrene, malathion, nonylphenol and monocrotophos delayed the development of P. major for both embryos and larvae, and decreased the hatching rate of the embryos. These results implied that the development of fish embryos and larvae could serve as potential biomarkers for evaluating organic contamination in the aquatic environment. The marine economic fish P. major was more sensitive to PAHs than the model fish, marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma). The estimated safe concentrations (SCs) for marine economic fish, as determined in our research, could provide a reference for the formulation of water quality criteria.

Keywords: Acute toxicity; Embryos; Juveniles; Marine economic fish; Organic pollutants.

MeSH terms

Animals
Embryo, Nonmammalian
Larva
Oryzias
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Sea Bream*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical