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Wilczynski W, Brzeziński T, Maszczyk P, Ludew A, Czub MJ, Dziedzic D, Nawala J, Popiel S, Beldowski J, Sanderson H, Radlinska M. Acute toxicity of organoarsenic chemical warfare agents to Danio rerio embryos. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115116. [PMID: 37315364 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
During the 20th century, thousands of tons of munitions containing organoarsenic chemical warfare agents (CWAs) were dumped into oceans, seas and inland waters around the world. As a result, organoarsenic CWAs continue to leak from corroding munitions into sediments and their environmental concentrations are expected to peak over the next few decades. There remains, however, a lack of knowledge about their potential toxicity to aquatic vertebrates, such as fish. The aim of this study was to fill in this gap in research, by investigating the acute toxicity of organoarsenic CWAs on fish embryos, using the model species, Danio rerio. To estimate the acute toxicity thresholds of organoarsenic CWAs (Clark I, Adamsite, PDCA), a CWA-related compound (TPA), as well as four organoarsenic CWA degradation products (Clark I[ox], Adamsite[ox], PDCA[ox], TPA[ox]), standardized tests were performed following the OECD no. 236 Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity Test guidelines. Additionally, the detoxification response in D. rerio embryos was investigated by analysing the mRNA expression of five genes encoding antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, GPx, GR and GST). During the 96 h of exposure, organoarsenic CWAs induced lethal effects in D. rerio embryos at very low concentrations (classified as 1st category pollutants according to GHS categorization), and were therefore deemed to be serious environmental hazards. Although TPA and the four CWA degradation products caused no acute toxicity even at their maximum solubility, the transcription of antioxidant-related genes was altered upon exposure to these compounds, indicating the need for further testing for chronic toxicity. Incorporating the results of this study into ecological risk assessments will provide a more accurate prediction of the environmental hazards posed by CWA-related organoarsenicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Wilczynski
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland; Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Brzeziński
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Maszczyk
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Michał J Czub
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland; Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Daniel Dziedzic
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jakub Nawala
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stanislaw Popiel
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Hans Sanderson
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Monika Radlinska
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
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Wilczynski W, Radlinska M, Wysujack K, Czub M, Brzeziński T, Kowalczyk G, Bełdowski J, Nogueira P, Maszczyk P. Metagenomic Analysis of the Gastrointestinal Microbiota of Gadus morhua callarias L. Originating from a Chemical Munition Dump Site. TOXICS 2022; 10:206. [PMID: 35622620 PMCID: PMC9146964 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10050206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Several hundred thousand tonnes of munitions containing chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are lying on the seafloor worldwide. CWAs have started leaking from corroded munitions, and their presence in the environment and in organisms inhabiting dump sites has been detected. The presence of CWAs in the water negatively affects fish, macrobenthos and free-living bacteria. It can be expected that the presence of CWAs would also affect the gut-associated bacteria in fish, which are vital for their condition. The main aim of this study was to test if the microbiota of cod collected in the Baltic Bornholm Deep (highly polluted with CWAs) is dysregulated. To investigate this, we conducted metagenomic studies based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that the microbiota of cod inhabiting the dump site was significantly less taxonomically diverse compared to those from a non-polluted reference site. Moreover, taxa associated with fish diseases (e.g., Vibrionaceae, Aeromonadaceae) were more prevalent, and probiotic taxa (e.g., Actinobacteriota, Rhodobacteraceae) were less frequent in the guts of individuals from the dump site, than those from the reference site. The differences in vulnerability of various bacterial taxa inhabiting cod gastrointestinal tracts to CWAs were hypothesised to be responsible for the observed microbiota dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Wilczynski
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland;
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; (M.C.); (T.B.); (G.K.); (P.M.)
| | - Monika Radlinska
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, I. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Klaus Wysujack
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany; (K.W.); (P.N.)
| | - Michał Czub
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; (M.C.); (T.B.); (G.K.); (P.M.)
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Brzeziński
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; (M.C.); (T.B.); (G.K.); (P.M.)
| | - Grzegorz Kowalczyk
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; (M.C.); (T.B.); (G.K.); (P.M.)
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland;
| | - Pedro Nogueira
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany; (K.W.); (P.N.)
| | - Piotr Maszczyk
- Department of Hydrobiology, Institute of Functional Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland; (M.C.); (T.B.); (G.K.); (P.M.)
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Pažusienė J, Valskienė R, Grygiel W, Stankevičiūtė M, Butrimavičienė L, Baršienė J. Cytogenetic damage in native Baltic Sea fish species: environmental risks associated with chemical munition dumping in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:62200-62215. [PMID: 34189697 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14827-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study represents the first attempt to assess genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects in herring (Clupea harengus membras), flounder (Platichthys flesus), and cod (Gadus morhua callarias) caught at 47 study stations, located close to chemical munition dumpsites in the Gotland Basin, the Baltic Sea. Herring sampled from stations located in the center of chemical munition dumpsites exhibited the highest levels of micronuclei (MN) and total genotoxicity (ΣGentox), which is defined as the sum of frequencies of such nuclear abnormalities as micronuclei, nuclear buds, nuclear buds on the filament, and bi-nucleated erythrocytes with nucleoplasmic bridges. Exceptionally high and high ΣGentox risks were determined for flounder (89.47%), herring (79.31%), and cod (50%) caught at the stations located close to the chemical munition dumpsites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Pažusienė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Roberta Valskienė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Włodzimierz Grygiel
- National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 1 Kołłątaja Street, 81-332, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | | | - Janina Baršienė
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos St. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Czub M, Nawała J, Popiel S, Brzeziński T, Maszczyk P, Sanderson H, Maser E, Gordon D, Dziedzic D, Dawidziuk B, Pijanowska J, Fabisiak J, Szubska M, Lang T, Vanninen P, Niemikoski H, Missiaen T, Lehtonen KK, Bełdowski J, Kotwicki L. Acute aquatic toxicity of arsenic-based chemical warfare agents to Daphnia magna. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 230:105693. [PMID: 33310671 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2020.105693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea dumping of chemical warfare (CW) took place worldwide during the 20th century. Submerged CW included metal bombs and casings that have been exposed for 50-100 years of corrosion and are now known to be leaking. Therefore, the arsenic-based chemical warfare agents (CWAs), pose a potential threat to the marine ecosystems. The aim of this research was to support a need for real-data measurements for accurate risk assessments and categorization of threats originating from submerged CWAs. This has been achieved by providing a broad insight into arsenic-based CWAs acute toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. Standard tests were performed to provide a solid foundation for acute aquatic toxicity threshold estimations of CWA: Lewisite, Adamsite, Clark I, phenyldichloroarsine (PDCA), CWA-related compounds: TPA, arsenic trichloride and four arsenic-based CWA degradation products. Despite their low solubility, during the 48 h exposure, all CWA caused highly negative effects on Daphnia magna. PDCA was very toxic with 48 h D. magna LC50 at 0.36 μg × L-1 and Lewisite with EC50 at 3.2 μg × L-1. Concentrations at which no immobilization effects were observed were slightly above the analytical Limits of Detection (LOD) and Quantification (LOQ). More water-soluble CWA degradation products showed no effects at concentrations up to 100 mg × L-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Czub
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Jakub Nawała
- Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | - Tomasz Brzeziński
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Piotr Maszczyk
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Hans Sanderson
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Edmund Maser
- Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Diana Gordon
- Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Daniel Dziedzic
- Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | - Joanna Pijanowska
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | - Marta Szubska
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Thomas Lang
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Bremerhaven, Germany.
| | - Paula Vanninen
- Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Hanna Niemikoski
- Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | | | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland.
| | - Lech Kotwicki
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland.
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Nowosad J, Kucharczyk D. First report of the occurrence and different types of conjoined twins in common whitefish Coregonus maraena larvae originating from the Baltic Sea. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2019; 132:163-170. [PMID: 31188131 DOI: 10.3354/dao03314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes for the first time various forms of conjoined twins in the common whitefish Coregonus maraena originating from the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. The occurrence of conjoined twins was observed during the hatching of whitefish under controlled conditions. Two types of twins were identified: symmetric (parapagus) and asymmetric (parasitic form). The percentage of conjoined twins among the whitefish did not exceed 0.01% of the hatched larvae. The forms of twins observed in this study were similar to conjoined twins occurring among humans. One main type, parapagus, was identified in the group of symmetric twins with 3 subtypes: diprosopus parapagus, dicephalic parapagus and dithoracic parapagus. In its parasitic form, the parasitic twin occurred as a 'cyclops' or just as an eye growing out of the other twin's head. We conclude that fish, as well as their fertilised eggs, can be used as a model system to observe how such twins are joined in humans because of the similarity with conjoined twins occurring in humans. Because of internal fertilisation in fish, as well as the size and transparency of egg cells in these animals, it is possible to observe the process of fertilisation, cell division and formation of an embryo and subsequently of twins, as a model for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Nowosad
- Department of Lake and River Fisheries, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Al., Warszawska 117A, 10 - 718 Olsztyn, Poland
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