Toxicity of a mixture of monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTX) to a tropical marine microcrustacean

Meggie Karoline Silva Nascimento; Susana Loureiro; Michel Rubens Dos Reis Souza; Marcelo da Rosa Alexandre; Jeamylle Nilin

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111272

Toxicity of a mixture of monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTX) to a tropical marine microcrustacean

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Jul:156:111272. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111272. Epub 2020 May 23.

Authors

Meggie Karoline Silva Nascimento¹, Susana Loureiro², Michel Rubens Dos Reis Souza³, Marcelo da Rosa Alexandre⁴, Jeamylle Nilin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
² CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: sloureiro@ua.pt.
³ Graduate Program in Industrial Biotechnology, Tiradentes University, Av. Murilo Dantas, 300 - Farolândia, 49032-490 Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil.
⁴ Graduate Program in Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil; Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
⁵ Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation, Federal University of Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon s/n, CEP 49100-000 São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil; Biology Institute, Federal University of Uberlândia, Av. Ceará, s/n Bloco D sala 28, 38405-302 Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: nilin@ufu.br.

PMID: 32510411
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111272

Abstract

This study evaluated the toxicity of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), isolated and in binary mixtures to Mysidopsis juniae. The organisms were exposed to BTX, and combined effect patterns were predicted by applying the theoretical models of Concentration Addition and Independent Action. According to the LC50 of the isolated compounds, xylene (16.1 ± 2.4 mg L^-1) was considered the most toxic, followed by toluene (38.0 ± 5.3 mg L^-1) and, lastly, benzene (78.0 ± 2.9 mg L^-1). The binary combinations showed deviations from additivity, with exposure to the xylene-benzene mixture presenting as antagonistic, while the xylene-toluene and toluene-benzene mixtures were better explained by a dose ratio deviation, with toluene being responsible for the antagonistic pattern. This study provides new insights into toxicity prediction of a BTX mixture, which adds value to the risk assessment procedure over evaluation of chemical hazards on a case-by-case basis.

Keywords: Benzene; Mysid; Survival; Toluene; Xylenes.

MeSH terms

Benzene*
Toluene
Xylenes*

Substances

Xylenes
Toluene
Benzene