A model compound study: the ecotoxicological evaluation of five organic contaminants employing a battery of marine bioassays

A broad-taxa approach as an important concept in ecotoxicological studies and pollution monitoring

Aquatic invertebrates play a pivotal role in (eco)toxicological assessments because they offer ethical, cost-effective and repeatable testing options. Additionally, their significance in the food chain and their ability to represent diverse aquatic ecosystems make them valuable subjects for (eco)toxicological studies. To ensure consistency and comparability across studies, international (eco)toxicology guidelines have been used to establish standardised methods and protocols for data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, the current standardised protocols primarily focus on a limited number of aquatic invertebrate species, mainly from Arthropoda, Mollusca and Annelida. These protocols are suitable for basic toxicity screening, effectively assessing the immediate and severe effects of toxic substances on organisms. For more comprehensive and ecologically relevant assessments, particularly those addressing long-term effects and ecosystem-wide impacts, we recommended the use of a broader diversity of species, since the present choice of taxa exacerbates the limited scope of basic ecotoxicological studies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of (eco)toxicological studies, focusing on major aquatic invertebrate taxa and how they are used to assess the impact of chemicals in diverse aquatic environments. The present work supports the use of a broad-taxa approach in basic environmental assessments, as it better represents the natural populations inhabiting various ecosystems. Advances in omics and other biochemical and computational techniques make the broad-taxa approach more feasible, enabling mechanistic studies on non-model organisms. By combining these approaches with in vitro techniques together with the broad-taxa approach, researchers can gain insights into less-explored impacts of pollution, such as changes in population diversity, the development of tolerance and transgenerational inheritance of pollution responses, the impact on organism phenotypic plasticity, biological invasion outcomes, social behaviour changes, metabolome changes, regeneration phenomena, disease susceptibility and tissue pathologies. This review also emphasises the need for harmonised data-reporting standards and minimum annotation checklists to ensure that research results are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), maximising the use and reusability of data. The ultimate goal is to encourage integrated and holistic problem-focused collaboration between diverse scientific disciplines, international standardisation organisations and decision-making bodies, with a focus on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production for the One-Health approach.

Natural attenuation of sulfometuron-methyl in seawater: Kinetics, intermediates, toxicity change and ecological risk assessment

This research aims to evaluate the environmental feasibility of sulfometuron-methyl (SM) as a growth inhibitor for restricting the growth of Spartina alterniflora. To achieve this purpose, the natural attenuation characteristics, ecological risk, degradation pathway, and comprehensive toxicity changes of SM in seawater were investigated under the simulated marine environmental conditions of Jiaozhou Bay, China. The natural attenuation of SM in seawater followed first-order reaction kinetics with a rate constant (K) of 0.0694 d^-1 and a half-life of 9.99 days. When photolysis, hydrolysis, and biodegradation pathways act alone, the rate constants K of SM were 0.0167, 0.0143, and 0.0099 d^-1 respectively, indicating that their contributions to the total removal of SM decreased in turn. The calculation results of risk quotient (RQ) showed that the seawater containing 10 mg/L of SM demonstrated a very high risk to marine diatom Skeletonema costatum before and after 21 days of attenuation with RQ values of 24.46 and 6.32, respectively, however, the risk to other marine organisms (fish, crustaceans, and bivalves) decreased from moderate (RQ < 1) to low (RQ < 0.01). Four attenuation products of SM were identified and two degradation pathways of SM in seawater were proposed. Based on the rate of inhibition of bioluminescence, SM in seawater was not harmful to Photobacterium phosphoreum T3, whereas the toxicity of seawater containing SM increased with the extension of attenuation time, suggesting the formation of intermediate products with high aquatic toxicity. According to the toxicity values predicted by ECOSAR, the toxicity of one identified attenuation product was higher than that of SM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the attenuation characteristics and toxicity changes of SM in seawater. The results indicated that the toxicity of both SM and its degradation products to non-target marine organisms should be considered in evaluating the feasibility of SM in controlling coastal Spartina alterniflora.

Diuron environmental levels effects on marine nematodes: Assessment of ecological indices, taxonomic diversity, and functional traits

Coastal marine systems are the most sensitive zones to emerging pollutants. The present study aims to investigate the effect of Diuron on the meiofaunal assemblages, collected from the Bizerte channel (Tunisia). Microcosm experiments were set up using four increasing Diuron concentrations [D1 (10 ng g^-1 dry weight (DW)), D2 (50 ng g^-1 DW), D3 (250 ng g^-1 DW) and (1250 ng g^-1 DW)] compared to non-contaminated sediments (controls) and all plots were incubated for 30 days. Our results show that Diuron-supplemented sediments provoked the significant decrease of meiofaunal abundance as well as a change in nematodes' diversity and structure composition. All univariate indices, as well as the cumulative k-dominance, were lower in the Diuron than the control plot. Additionally, the ordination of treatments according to the two-dimensional nMDS plots analysis showed a clear structural separation of the Diuron treated replicates from the controls based on the functional groups lists. These current data emphasize the utility of the use of biological traits in the detection of disturbances in the aquatic biotope.

Antifouling paint biocides (Irgarol 1051 and diuron) in the selected ports of Peninsular Malaysia: occurrence, seasonal variation, and ecological risk assessment

Irgarol 1051 and diuron are photosystem II inhibitors in agricultural activities and antifouling paints in the shipping sector. This study focused on three major ports (western, southern, and eastern) surrounding Peninsular Malaysia to construct the distribution of both biocides on the basis of the seasonal and geographical changes. Surface seawater samples were collected from November 2011 to April 2012 and pretreated using the solid-phase extraction technique followed by quantification with GC-MS and LC-MS-MS for Irgarol 1051 and diuron, respectively. Generally, the distribution of Irgarol 1051 was lowest during November 2011 and highest during April 2012, and similar patterns were observed at all ports, whereas the distribution of diuron was rather vague. The increasing pattern of Irgarol 1051 from time to time is probably related to its accumulation in the seawater as a result of its half-life and consistent utilization. On the basis of the discriminant analysis, the temporal distribution of Irgarol 1051 varied at Klang North Port, Klang South Port, and Pasir Gudang Port, whereas diuron was temporally varied only at Kemaman Port. Furthermore, Irgarol 1051 was spatially varied during November 2011, whereas diuron did not show any significant changes throughout all sampling periods. Ecological risk assessment exhibited a high risk for diuron and Irgarol 1051, but Irgarol 1051 should be of greater concern because of its higher risk compared to that of diuron. Thus, it is recommended that the current Malaysian guidelines and regulations of biocide application should be reevaluated and improved to protect the ecosystem, as well as to prevent ecological risks to the aquatic environment.

Concentration of Organotin and Booster Biocides in Sediments of Seagrass Area from Sungai Pulai Estuary, South of Johor, Malaysia

Antifouling compounds are widely used in paints applied on ship hulls to prevent attachment of fouling organisms. However, a certain amount of these chemicals could leach from the painted surface, enter seawater, and pose deleterious effects on various marine biotas. The present study aimed to determine the concentration of organotin (OT) compounds and booster biocides in sediments collected from the seagrass area of Sungai Pulai estuary, Malaysia. The sediment samples were collected from three points on the seagrass bed, brought back to the laboratory, extracted using standard extraction procedure, and the analytes were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The results showed that tributyltin (TBT) concentrations in sediments were within the range of 8.1 ± 0.4 to 10.6 ± 0.5 µg/kg, whereas the values of triphenyltin (TPT) were between 17.1 ± 0.9 and 19.4 ± 1.0 µg/kg. The range of concentration of booster biocides, namely diuron, dichlofluanid chlorothalonil, Irgarol 1051, M1, and Sea-Nine 211, were from <0.1 to 22.9 ± 1.1, 48.7 ± 2.4 to 800 ± 40, <0.1 to 6.2 ± 0.3, <0.1 to 1.4 ± 0.1, 44 ± 2.2 to 877 ± 44, and 9.1 ± 0.5 to 170 ± 8.5 µg/kg, respectively. The concentration of organotin was much lower than the previous study conducted in southern Johor. Meanwhile, the increased concentration of booster biocides proves the use of these compounds as antifouling paints in shipping systems nowadays.

Linking bioavailability and toxicity changes of complex chemicals mixture to support decision making for remediation endpoint of contaminated soils

A six-month laboratory scale study was carried out to investigate the effect of biochar and compost amendments on complex chemical mixtures of tar, heavy metals and metalloids in two genuine contaminated soils. An integrated approach, where organic and inorganic contaminants bioavailability and distribution changes, along with a range of microbiological indicators and ecotoxicological bioassays, was used to provide multiple lines of evidence to support the risk characterisation and assess the remediation end-point. Both compost and biochar amendment (p = 0.005) as well as incubation time (p = 0.001) significantly affected the total and bioavailable concentrations of the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in the two soils. Specifically, TPH concentration decreased by 46% and 30% in Soil 1 and Soil 2 amended with compost. These decreases were accompanied by a reduction of 78% (Soil 1) and 6% (Soil 2) of the bioavailable hydrocarbons and the most significant decrease was observed for the medium to long chain aliphatic compounds (EC_16-35) and medium molecular weight aromatic compounds (EC_16-21). Compost amendment enhanced the degradation of both the aliphatic and aromatic fractions in the two soils, while biochar contributed to lock the hydrocarbons in the contaminated soils. Neither compost nor biochar affected the distribution and behaviour of the heavy metals (HM) and metalloids in the different soil phases, suggesting that the co-presence of heavy metals and metalloids posed a low risk. Strong negative correlations were observed between the bioavailable hydrocarbon fractions and the ecotoxicological assays suggesting that when bioavailable concentrations decreased, the toxicity also decreased. This study showed that adopting a combined diagnostic approach can significantly help to identify optimal remediation strategies and contribute to change the over-conservative nature of the current risk assessments thus reducing the costs associated with remediation endpoint.

Transferring mixtures of chemicals from sediment to a bioassay using silicone-based passive sampling and dosing

Environmental mixtures of chemicals consist of a countless number of compounds with unknown identity and quantity. Yet, chemical regulation is mainly built around the assessment of single chemicals. Existing frameworks for assessing the toxicity of mixtures require that both the chemical composition and quantity are known. Quantitative analyses of the chemical composition of environmental mixtures are however extremely challenging and resource-demanding. Bioassays may therefore serve as a useful approach for investigating the combined toxicity of environmental mixtures of chemicals in a cost-efficient and holistic manner. In this study, an unknown environmental mixture of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic to hydrophobic chemicals was sampled from a contaminated sediment in a coastal Baltic Sea area using silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as an equilibrium passive sampler. The chemical mixture was transferred to a PDMS-based passive dosing system, and its applicability was demonstrated using green algae Tetraselmis suecica in a cell viability assay. The proportion of dead cells increased significantly with increasing exposure level and in a dose-response manner. At an ambient concentration, the proportion of dead cells in the population was nearly doubled compared to the control; however, the difference was non-significant due to high inter-replicate variability and a low number of replicates. The validation of the test system regarding equilibrium sampling, loading efficiency into the passive dosing polymer, stability of the mixture composition, and low algal mortality in control treatments demonstrates that combining equilibrium passive sampling and passive dosing is a promising tool for investigating the toxicity of bioavailable semi-hydrophobic and hydrophobic chemicals in complex environmental mixtures.

Are combined AOPs effective for toxicity reduction in receiving marine environment? Suitability of battery of bioassays for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent as an ecotoxicological assessment

Ecotoxicological assessment of three different wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents D1, D2 and D3 was performed before and after tertiary treatment using combination of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). A multibarrier treatment (MBT) consisting of microfiltration (MF), hydrogen peroxide photolysis (H2O2/UVC) and catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) was applied for all effluents. Sparus aurata, Paracentrotus lividus, Isochrysis galbana and Vibrio fischeri, representing different trophic levels, constituted the battery of bioassays. Different acute toxicity effects were observed in each WWTP effluents tested. The percentage of sea urchin larval development and mortality fish larvae were the most sensitive endpoints. Significant reduction (p < 0.05) of effluent's toxicity was observed using a classification pT-method after MBT process. Base on obtained results, tested battery of bioassays in pT-method framework can be recommended for acute toxicity preliminary evaluation of WWTP effluents for the marine environment.

Sperm Accumulated Against Surface: A novel alternative bioassay for environmental monitoring

Forecasting the impacts of changes in water quality on broadcast spawning aquatic organisms is a key aspect of environmental monitoring. Rapid assays of reproductive potential are central to this monitoring, and there is a need to develop a variety of methods to identify responses. Here, we report a proof-of-concept study that assesses whether quantification of "Sperm Accumulated Against Surface" (SAAS) of tissue culture well-plates could be a rapid and simple proxy measure of fertilisation success. Our results confirm that motile sperm (but not immotile sperm) actively accumulate at surfaces and that the pattern of accumulation reflects fertilisation success in the model oyster species Crassostrea gigas. Furthermore, we confirm these patterns of SAAS for another marine species, the polychaete Galeolaria caespitosa, as well as for a freshwater species, the fish Gasterosteus aculeatus. For all species considered, SAAS reflected changes in sperm performance caused by experimentally manipulated differences in water quality (here, salinity). These findings indicate that SAAS could be applied easily to a range of species when examining the effects of water quality. Measurement of SAAS could, therefore, form the basis of a rapid and reliable assay for bioassessments of broadcast spawning aquatic organisms.

Patchy sediment contamination scenario and the habitat selection by an estuarine mudsnail

Since mudsnails are able to avoid contaminated sediment and that the contaminants in sediment are not uniformly distributed, the mudsnail Peringia ulvae was exposed to cadmium (Cd) spiked sediment and assessed for avoidance response in a heterogeneous contamination scenario. Four Cd concentrations were prepared and disposed in patches on dishes, which were divided in 25 fields (six fields for each sediment concentration); 24 organisms were deployed in the central field, with no sediment. Observations were made at 2, 4 and 6 h (corresponding to immediate response), 8, 10 and 12 h (very short term), and 24 h (short term). A trend to avoid contaminated patches was observed in the immediate and very short term. After 24 h exposure, the organisms exposed to the highest level of contamination seemed to have lost the ability to move and avoid contaminated patches. In a contamination scenario in which non- and contaminated sediment patches are heterogeneously distributed, local mudsnail populations can simply rearrange their locality without needing to move to a different habitat. Such less contaminated patches can become donor areas in a future recolonization scenario.

Acute toxicity of tralopyril, capsaicin and triphenylborane pyridine to marine invertebrates

A need for environmentally acceptable alternative antifouling (AF) biocides has arisen through restrictions in the use of many common biocides in the European Union through the Biocidal Product Regulation (Regulation EU No. 528/2012). Three such alternatives are triphenylborane pyridine (TPBP), tralopyril and capsaicin. This study aims at extending the available information on the toxicity of these three emerging AF biocides to key marine invertebrates. Here we investigate the toxicity of tralopyril and capsaicin to the early life stages of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and also of tralopyril, capsaicin and TPBP to the early life stages of the copepod Tisbe battagliai. The EC50 that causes abnormal development of mussel's D-veliger larvae and impairs the growth of sea urchin pluteus larvae are respectively 3.1 and 3.0 μg/L for tralopyril and 3,868 and 5,248 μg/L for capsaicin. Regarding the copepod T. battagliai, the LC50 was 0.9 μg/L for tralopyril, 1,252 μg/L for capsaicin and 14 μg/L for TPBP. The results obtained for the three substances are compared to a reference AF biocide, tributyltin (TBT), and their ecological risk evaluated. These compounds pose a lower environmental risk than TBT but still, our results suggest that tralopyril and TPBP may represent a considerable threat to the ecosystems.

Bioassay based luminescent bacteria: interferences, improvements, and applications

Due to the merits of being time-saving, cost effective and simple operation, the luminescent bacteria toxicity assay (LBTA) has been widely used for environmental pollution monitoring. Based on numerous studies since 2007, this critical review aims to give an overview on the mechanisms, developments and applications of LBTA. Firstly, based on the introduction of the mechanisms of LBTA, this review shows the interferences from the characteristics of testing samples (such as inorganic nutrients, color, turbidity) and summarizes the improvements on pretreatment method, test methods and test systems in recent years. Regarding the factors that affect the toxicity prediction of single chemicals, the correlation between the toxicity index expressed as median effective concentration (EC50) and characters (such as Kow, the alkyl chain length, the anion and the cation) of known chemicals, especially the emerging ionic liquids (ILs), were given an in-depth discussion. The models for predicting the joint effect of mixtures to luminescent bacteria were also presented. For the factors that affect the toxicity of actual waters, the correlation of toxicity of actual samples to luminescent bacteria and their conventional indexes were discussed. Comparing the sensitivity of the LBTA with other bioassays could indicate the feasibility of the LBTA applied on specific samples. The summary on the application of LBTA to environmental samples has been made to find the future research direction.

An ecotoxicological study on tin- and bismuth-catalysed PDMS based coatings containing a surface-active polymer

Novel films were prepared by condensation curing reaction of a poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) matrix with bismuth neodecanoate and dibutyltin diacetate catalysts. An ecotoxicological study was performed on the leachates of the coatings using the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, the unicellular alga Dunaliella tertiolecta, the crustacean Artemia salina and the fish Sparus aurata (larvae) as testing organisms. A copper-based self-polishing commercial paint was also tested as reference. The results showed that the tin-catalysed coatings and the copper paint were highly toxic against at least two of the four test organisms, whereas bismuth-catalysed coatings did not show any toxic effect. Moreover, the same biological assessment was also carried out on PDMS coatings containing a surface-active fluorinated polymer. The toxicity of the entire polymeric system resulted only from the tin catalyst used for the condensation curing reaction, as the bismuth catalysed coatings incorporating the surface-active polymer remained atoxic toward all the tested organisms.

Reverse osmosis pretreatment method for toxicity assessment of domestic wastewater using Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67

Luminescent bacterial test is a fast and sensitive method for acute toxicity assessment of water and wastewater. In this study, an improved toxicity testing method was developed using the freshwater luminescent bacteria Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 that involved pretreatment of water samples with reverse osmosis (RO) to eliminate the interferences caused by nutrients in concentrated samples and to improve the reliability and sensitivity of the analysis. Because water samples contain low concentrations of several target toxic substances, rapid acute toxicity testing method that is commonly employed does not achieve enough sensitivity. The proposed RO pretreatment could effectively enrich organic and inorganic substances in water samples to enable a more effective and sensitive toxicity evaluation. The kinetic characteristics of toxicity of raw sewage and secondary effluent were evaluated based on the relative luminescence unit (RLU) curves and time-concentration-effect surfaces. It was observed that when the exposure time was prolonged to 8-h or longer, the bacteria reached the logarithmic growth stage. Hence, the stimulating effects of the coexisting ions (such as Na(+), K(+), NO3(-)) in the concentrated samples could be well eliminated. A 10-h exposure time in proposed Q67 test was found to quantitatively evaluate the toxicity of the organic and inorganic pollutants in the RO-concentrated samples.

A new protocol for ecotoxicological assessment of seawater using nauplii of Tisbe biminiensis (Copepoda:Harpacticoida)

Copepods are largely used in toxicity tests. The nauplii of these organisms are more sensitive to contaminants than the adult stage. The aim of the present study was to test a protocol for the use of nauplii of the copepod Tisbe biminiensis in the ecotoxicological assessment of seawater. The sensitivity of these organisms to zinc sulphate (ZnSO4·7H2O) was also determined. The following conditions were established for the protocol based on the best development of nauplii to copepodites: 72-h duration, the microalga Chaetocerus gracilis at 2.5×10(5)cellsmL(-1) as feed and incubation temperature of 28°C. In the zinc sulphate sensitivity tests, EC50-72 h and LC50/72 h were 3.25±0.59 mg L(-1) and 3.46±0.72 mg L(-1), respectively, as estimated by the final number of copepodites and total number of live animals in relation to the mean number of inoculated nauplii. The estimated NOEC was 2.0 mg L(-1). The test developed is fast and not labour intensive. T. biminiensis nauplii exhibit sensitivity to zinc sulphate similar to that of other species of copepods employed in water toxicity tests, demonstrating the usefulness of these organisms in ecotoxicological studies involving samples of environmental seawater.

A battery of bioassays for the evaluation of phenanthrene biotoxicity in soil

A battery of bioassays was used to assess the ecotoxicological risk of soil spiked with a range of phenanthrene levels (0.95, 6.29, 38.5, 58.7, 122, and 303 μg g(-1) dry soil) and aged for 69 days. Multiple species (viz. Brassica rapa, Eisenia feotida, Vibrio fischeri), representing different trophic levels, were used as bioindicator organisms. Among acute toxicity assays tested, the V. fischeri luminescence inhibition assay was the most sensitive indicator of phenanthrene biotoxicity. More than 15 % light inhibition was found at the lowest phenanthrene level (0.95 μg g(-1)). Furthermore, comet assay using E. fetida was applied to assess genotoxicity of phenanthrene. The strong correlation (r (2) ≥ 0.94) between phenanthrene concentration and DNA damage indicated that comet assay is appropriate for testing the genotoxic effects of phenanthrene-contaminated soil. In the light of these results, we conclude that the Microtox test and comet assay are robust and sensitive bioassays to be employed for the risk evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

Integrative sediment assessment at Atlantic Spanish harbours by means of chemical and ecotoxicological tools

This study refers to the integrative assessment of sediment quality in three harbour areas at the Spanish Atlantic Coast: Vigo (Northwestern Spain), Bilbao and Pasajes (Northern Spain). At each site, two lines of evidence have been considered: chemical analyses (metal, PAH and PCB concentrations in sediments and ammonia concentration in bioassays) and toxicity tests (Microtox®, Corophium sp. marine amphipod and Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin larvae). Chemical and ecotoxicological results have been integrated by means of a tabular matrix and a multivariate factorial analysis (FA). Highly toxic samples have been characterised in Vigo and Pasajes harbours while Bilbao samples present toxicity levels ranging from non-toxic to moderately toxic. High toxicity is associated with high levels of contaminants whereas confounding factors (ammonia, organic matter and mud) have been identified to be the main cause of low to moderate toxicity. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that deriving potential toxicity of sediments based on comparison with Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) is in agreement to toxicity results in areas presenting high levels of contaminants. However, at lower levels of toxicity (low to moderate), the mismatch between the potential toxicity (SQG approach) and the toxicity measured by bioassays is greater, as the former only accounts for chemical concentrations, without considering the interaction between contaminants and the effect of confounding factors. Contrarily, the multivariate analysis seems to be a robust tool for the integration and interpretation of different lines of evidence in areas affected by different sources of contamination.

Effects of salinity on the toxicity of ionic silver and Ag-PVP nanoparticles to Tisbe battagliai and Ceramium tenuicorne

The toxic effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP(PVP)) and ionic Ag, to Tisbe battagliai (Tb) and Ceramium tenuicorne (Ct) were investigated and the usefulness of standardised marine guidelines for ENP risk assessment were assessed. The toxicity of Ag-NP(PVP) [CtEC(50)=26.6μg/L, TbEC(50)=7.9μg/L] and Ag(+) [CtEC(50)=2312.2μg/L, Tb EC(50)=90.9μg/L] to both test species differed, with the silver ENPs being more toxic. In contrast to Ag(+) the toxicity of Ag-NP(PVP) increased significantly with increasing salinity, however, after thorough characterisation it was not possible to correlate the behaviour of the particles with an increase in toxicity and salinity. The results suggest that the observed toxicity is being elicited by the free ionic silver complexing in solution and also from an unknown potential particle related effect.

Biotoxicity assessment of pyrene in soil using a battery of biological assays

A test battery, composed of a range of biological assays, was applied to evaluate the ecological health of soil aged for 69 days and spiked with a range of pyrene levels (1.04, 8.99, 41.5, 72.6, 136, and 399 μg g(-1) dry soil; Soxhlet-extracted concentrations after 69 days of aging). Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa), earthworm (Eisenia fetida), and bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) were used as test organisms to represent different trophic levels. Among the acute ecotoxicity bioassays used, the V. fischeri luminescence inhibition assay was the most sensitive indicator of pyrene toxicity. We observed >8 % light inhibition at the lowest concentration (1.04 μg g(-1)) pyrene, and this inhibition increased to 60 % at 72.6 μg g(-1). The sensitivity ranking for toxicity of the pyrene-contaminated soil in the present study was in the following decreasing order: root elongation of Chinese cabbage < earthworm mortality (14 days) < earthworm mortality (28 days) < luminescence inhibition (15 min) < luminescence inhibition (5 min). In addition, genotoxic effects of pyrene were also evaluated by using comet assay in E. fetida. The strong relationship between DNA damage and soil pyrene levels showed that comet assay is suitable for testing the genotoxicity of pyrene-polluted soil. In addition, tail moment was well correlated with soil pyrene levels (r (2) = 0.99). Thus, tail moment may be the most informative DNA-damage parameter representing the results of comet assay. Based on these results, the earthworm DNA damage assay and Microtox test are rapid and sensitive bioassays and can be used to assess the risk of soil with low to high levels of hydrocarbon pollution. Furthermore, an analysis of the toxic effects at several trophic levels is essential for a more comprehensive understanding of the damage caused by highly contaminated soil.

A standardization of Amphibalanus (Balanus) amphitrite (Crustacea, Cirripedia) larval bioassay for ecotoxicological studies

A series of 10 intra-laboratory bioassays and an inter-laboratory assay involving nine laboratories, were performed to validate the use of Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae as test organisms for ecotoxicological studies. The standardization protocol utilized Cadmium Nitrate as a reference toxicant and larval immobilization (after 24 and 48 h) as the end-point. The statistical data analysis showed high homogeneity in intra-laboratory EC(50) values among bioassay repetitions (coefficient of variation (CV)=15.8% after 24 h and 16.9% after 48 h); also CV values obtained in inter laboratory comparison exercise were not higher than the 50%, variation coefficient mentioned in the ISO standards for the precision of inter-laboratory assays. The results demonstrated that the protocol implemented for the balanus larval bioassay comply with the international standards both for intra- and inter-laboratory precision.

Implementation of a minimal set of biological tests to assess the ecotoxic effects of effluents from land-based marine fish farms

Environmental monitoring plans (EMP) that include chemical analysis of water, a battery of bioassays and the study of local hydrodynamic conditions are required for land-based marine aquaculture. In this study, the following standardized toxicity tests were performed to assess the toxicity of effluents from eight land-base marine fish farms (LBMFFs) located on the northwest coast of Spain: bacterial bioluminescence (with Vibrio fischeri at 15 and 30 min), microalgal growth (with Phaeodactyllum tricornutum and Isochrysis galbana) and sea urchin larval development (with Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula). These bioassays were evaluated for inclusion in routine fish farm monitoring. Effective concentrations (EC(5), EC(10), EC(20), EC(50)) for each bioassay were calculated from dose-response curves, obtained by fitting the bioassay results to the best parametric model. Moreover, a graphical method of integrating the results from the battery of bioassays and classifying the toxicity was proposed, and the potential ecotoxic effects probe (PEEP) index was calculated. The bacterial bioluminiscence test at 30min, growth of I. galbana and larval development of A. lixula were found to be the most sensitive and useful tests. Graphical integration of these test results enabled definition of the ecotoxicological profiles of the different farms. The PEEP index, considering EC(20), efficiently reflected the toxic loading potential of LBMFF effluents. In conclusion, a battery of bioassays with species from different low trophic levels is recommended as a rapid and cost-effective methodology for assessing LBMFF discharges. The graphical integration method and the PEEP index are proposed for consideration in EMPs for such farms.

In vitro screening of organotin compounds and sediment extracts for cytotoxicity to fish cells

The present study reports an in vitro screening method for contaminants in sediment samples utilizing an RTG-2 cell line. This technique integrates cytotoxicity testing with analytical chemistry with the aim of achieving a toxicity evaluation of the sediment sample. The toxic effect of individual organotin (OT) compounds and their presence in the sediment sample is the focus of the present study; however, other contaminants are also discussed. The following OT compounds: tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), monobutyltin (MBT), triphenyltin (TPT), diphenyltin (DPT), and a sediment solvent extract are exposed to the RTG-2 fish cell line. Both the alamar blue (AB) and neutral red (NR) assays are used to assess cytotoxicity after 24-h and 96-h exposure. Methodology for preparation of a sediment solvent extract suitable for biological testing and analytical determination is also described. With the RTG-2 cells, the AB and NR assays had comparable sensitivity for each individual OT compound exposure after 24 h, with TPT being the most toxic compound tested. The individual OT compound concentrations required to induce a 50% toxic effect on the cells (369 ng ml⁻¹ TBT, 1,905 ng ml⁻¹ DBT) did not equate to the concentrations of these contaminants present in the sediment extract that induced a 50% effect on the cells (294 ng ml⁻¹ TBT, 109 ng ml⁻¹ DBT). The solvent extract therefore exhibited a greater toxicity, and this suggests that the toxic effects observed were not due to OT compounds alone. The presence of other contaminants in the solvent extract is confirmed with chemical analysis, warranting further toxicity testing of contaminant mixtures and exposure to the cell line to further elucidate a complete toxicity evaluation.

Microphytobenthos in ecotoxicology: a review of the use of marine benthic diatoms in bioassays

Contamination in coastal zones is an increasing problem that adversely affects biological diversity and the functioning of coastal ecosystems. Sediment is an important compartment of these zones since large quantities of diverse contaminants can accumulate there. Whole-sediment toxicity assays are of increasing importance, and several assay methods using mainly invertebrates have been developed. However, an important part of the benthic community, the microphytobenthos (represented principally by benthic diatoms and cyanobacteria), has surprisingly been neglected. Recently, comprehensive studies have been conducted using benthic marine microalgae with the object of establishing a toxicity assay method for sediment samples. The main results published to date in the literature and obtained by our own team have been compiled and are discussed in this review. The value and feasibility of using certain organisms of the microphytobenthos group in ecotoxicology studies are also discussed, and a sediment quality guideline based on multivariate procedure has been derived from data obtained in previous studies. Finally, future perspectives for research in this field are discussed.

DNA hypomethylation induced by tributyltin, triphenyltin, and a mixture of these in Sebastiscus marmoratus liver

Tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) coexist in freshwater and marine environments. However, the effects of TBT, TPT, and a mixture of the two on DNA methylation in marine fish livers and the mechanism involved remain to be elucidated. Previous study have proved that abnormal methylation patterns are induced by the balance of transmethylation reaction including the tissue level of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) or the activity of DNA (cytosine-5) methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). Therefore, in the present study, we assessed their ability to cause hepatic DNA hypomethylation in Sebastiscus marmoratus liver and the related mechanism. The results showed that TBT, TPT, and a mixture of the two significantly induced DNA hypomethylation in the fish livers in a dose-dependent manner. Using Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, we identified strong linear correlations between S-adenosylhomocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine, or the SAM to SAH ratio and the hepatic genome-wide 5-methylcytosine content of the DNA, but no correlation between the latter and the DNMT1 expression level. It is therefore proposed that the organotins hypomethylation induced in the marine fish livers was due to altering the balance of the substrate and the product in transmethylation reactions.

Sediment integrative assessment of the Bay of Cádiz (Spain): an ecotoxicological and chemical approach

This study consisted of the sediment toxicity assessment of the Bay of Cádiz based on two endpoints: growth inhibition for Cylindrotheca closterium (benthic microalgae) and fecundity inhibition for Tisbe battagliai (harpacticoid copepod). A new methodology to eliminate (but not as storage technique) the autochthonous biota present in the sediment samples by immersing them in liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C) was also assessed. Sediment toxicity data showed different toxicity levels for both organisms. In general, T. battagliai was more sensitive; however a good correlation (r=0.75; p<0.05) between sediment toxicity results for both species was found. Data in pore water (pH, redox potential, and toxicity for microalgae and copepod) and sediment (pH, redox potential, organic carbon, and metal concentrations) demonstrated that ultra-freezing did not alter sample characteristics; thus, this technique can be adopted as a pre-treatment in whole-sediment toxicity tests in order to avoid misleading results due to presence of autochthonous biota. Multivariate statistical analysis such as cluster and principal component analysis using chemical and ecotoxicological data were employed. Silt and organic matter percentage and lead concentration were found to be the factors that explain about 77% of sediment toxicity in the Bay of Cádiz. Assay methodology determined in this study for both assayed species is considered adequate to be used in sediment toxicity monitoring programs. Results obtained using both species show that the Bay of Cádiz can be considered a moderately polluted zone.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of marine sediment solvent extracts from the east coast of Ireland

Crude solvent extracts were prepared from three sediment sites in Ireland namely Bull Lagoon, Dunmore East and Dublin Port. These were assayed with Tisbe battagliai and the Microtox system. The extracts were chemically characterised using a variety of analytical techniques for a suite of organic contaminants. Metals and organic contaminant concentration data are reported for the three sites. On the basis of determined toxicity and chemical analysis of these crude extracts, a further bioassay-directed fractionation (BDF) employing the Dunmore East crude organic extract was conducted in addition to chemical analysis. For the crude extracts, T. battagliai and Microtox system demonstrated an order of decreasing toxicity for each of the three sites to be Dublin Port>Dunmore East>Bull Lagoon. Microtox system EC10 values after 30min exposure were 1.08%, 11.6% and 26.9% solvent extract for these sites, respectively. Fractionation of the Dunmore East extract revealed that fraction 1 was the most toxic fraction to both the T. battagliai and the Microtox system demonstrating EC50's after 48 h and 30 min of 44.7% and 16.8% solvent extract for the T. battagliai and Microtox assays, respectively. T. battagliai however did show increased sensitivity to fraction 3 when comparing EC10 values and demonstrated an EC10 value of 17.8% solvent extract after 48h. Fraction 1 was shown to contain the highest quantity of the butyltins, in particular TBT in relation to fractions 2 and 3. A useful BDF technique was developed and employed in this study.

A test battery approach to the ecotoxicological evaluation of cadmium and copper employing a battery of marine bioassays

Heavy metals are ubiquitous contaminants of the marine environment and can accumulate and persist in sediments. The toxicity of metal contaminants in sediments to organisms is dependent on the bioavailability of the metals in both the water and sediment phases and the sensitivity of the organism to the metal exposure. This study investigated the effects of two metal contaminants of concern (CdCl(2) and CuCl(2)) on a battery of marine bioassays employed for sediment assessment. Cadmium, a known carcinogen and widespread marine pollutant, was found to be the least toxic of the two assayed metals in all in vivo tests. However, CdCl(2) was found to be more toxic to the fish cell lines PLHC-1 and RTG-2 than CuCl(2). Tisbe battagliai was the most sensitive species to both metals and the Microtox and cell lines were the least sensitive (cadmium was found to be three orders of magnitude less toxic to Vibrio fischeri than to T. battagliai). The sensitivity of Tetraselmis suecica to the two metals varied greatly. Marine microalgae are among the organisms that can tolerate higher levels of cadmium. This hypothesis is demonstrated in this study where it was not possible to derive an EC(50) value for CdCl(2) and the marine prasinophyte, T. suecica. Conversely, CuCl(2) was observed to be highly toxic to the marine alga, EC(50) of 1.19 mg l(-1). The genotoxic effect of Cu on the marine phytoplankton was evaluated using the Comet assay. Copper concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 2.50 mg l(-1) were used to evaluate the effects. DNA damage was measured as percent number of comets and normal cells. There was no significant DNA damage observed at any concentration of CuCl(2) tested and no correlation with growth inhibition and genetic damage was found.