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Vasantha Raman N, Gebreyohanes Belay BM, South J, Botha TL, Pegg J, Khosa D, Mofu L, Walsh G, Jordaan MS, Koelmans AA, Teurlincx S, Helmsing NR, de Jong N, van Donk E, Lürling M, Wepener V, Fernandes TV, de Senerpont Domis LN. Effect of an antidepressant on aquatic ecosystems in the presence of microplastics: A mesocosm study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 357:124439. [PMID: 38942279 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124439] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics have become a pressing concern due to their widespread presence and potential impacts on ecological systems. To assess the ecosystem-level effects of these pollutants within a multi-stressor context, we simulated real-world conditions by exposing a near-natural multi-trophic aquatic food web to a gradient of environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine and microplastics in large mesocosms over a period of more than three months. We measured the biomass and abundance of different trophic groups, as well as ecological functions such as nutrient availability and decomposition rate. To explore the mechanisms underlying potential community and ecosystem-level effects, we also performed behavioral assays focusing on locomotion parameters as a response variable in three species: Daphnia magna (zooplankton prey), Chaoborus flavicans larvae (invertebrate pelagic predator of zooplankton) and Asellus aquaticus (benthic macroinvertebrate), using water from the mesocosms. Our mesocosm results demonstrate that presence of microplastics governs the response in phytoplankton biomass, with a weak non-monotonic dose-response relationship due to the interaction between microplastics and fluoxetine. However, exposure to fluoxetine evoked a strong non-monotonic dose-response in zooplankton abundance and microbial decomposition rate of plant material. In the behavioral assays, the locomotion of zooplankton prey D. magna showed a similar non-monotonic response primarily induced by fluoxetine. Its predator C. flavicans, however, showed a significant non-monotonic response governed by both microplastics and fluoxetine. The behavior of the decomposer A. aquaticus significantly decreased at higher fluoxetine concentrations, potentially leading to reduced decomposition rates near the sediment. Our study demonstrates that effects observed upon short-term exposure result in more pronounced ecosystem-level effects following chronic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Vasantha Raman
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Berte M Gebreyohanes Belay
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Josie South
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
| | - Tarryn L Botha
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
| | - Josephine Pegg
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University, Makhanda, EC, South Africa; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
| | - Dumisani Khosa
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda, 6140, South Africa; Scientific Services, South African National Parks, Private Bag X402, Skukuza, 1350, South Africa
| | - Lubabalo Mofu
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
| | - Gina Walsh
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Martine S Jordaan
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Makhanda, 6140, South Africa; CapeNature Scientific Services, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Albert A Koelmans
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sven Teurlincx
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nico R Helmsing
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nina de Jong
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen van Donk
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Ecology and Biodiversity Research Group, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Miquel Lürling
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Victor Wepener
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Tânia V Fernandes
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lisette N de Senerpont Domis
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Pervasive Systems, EEMCS, University of Twente & Department of Water Resources, ITC, University of Twente, the Netherlands
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Sumpter JP, Johnson AC, Runnalls TJ. Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment: No Answers Yet to the Major Questions. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024; 43:589-594. [PMID: 35770719 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment, especially the aquatic environment, has received a lot of attention in the last 20 plus years. Despite that attention, the two most important questions regarding pharmaceuticals in the environment still cannot be answered. It is not possible to put the threat posed by pharmaceuticals into perspective with the many other threats (stressors) facing aquatic organisms, such as low flows due to over-abstraction of water, inhibited passage of migratory species due to dams and weirs, diseases, algal blooms causing low oxygen levels and releasing toxins, eutrophication, climate change, and so on. Nor is it possible to identify which pharmaceuticals are of concern and which are not. Not only can these key questions not be answered presently, they have received extremely little attention, despite being identified 10 years ago as the two most important questions to answer. That situation must change if resources and expertise are to be effectively used to protect the environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:589-594. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P Sumpter
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C Johnson
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Tamsin J Runnalls
- Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
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3
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Zakari-Jiya A, Frazzoli C, Obasi CN, Babatunde BB, Patrick-Iwuanyanwu KC, Orisakwe OE. Pharmaceutical and personal care products as emerging environmental contaminants in Nigeria: A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 94:103914. [PMID: 35738461 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103914] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The increasingly broad and massive use of pharmaceuticals (human, veterinary) and personal care products in industrially developing nations makes their uncontrolled environmental and ecological impact a true concern. Focusing on Nigeria, this systematic literature search (databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane library and African Journals Online) aims to increase visibility to the issue. Among 275 articles identified, 7 were included in this systematic review. Studies indicated the presence of 11 personal care products (15.94 %) and 58 pharmaceutical products (84.06 %) in surface and ground water, leachates, runoffs, sludge, and sediments. The 42.86% (3/7) of reviewed studies reported 17 analgesics; 71.42 % (5/7) reported 16 antibiotics; 28.57 % (2/7) reported 5 lipid lowering drugs; 28.57% reported anti-malaria and fungal drugs; 14.29 % (1/7) reported estrogen drugs. Different studies report on sunscreen products, hormone, phytosterol, insect repellent, and β1 receptor. Gemfibrozil (<4-730 ng/L), Triclosan (55.1-297.7 ng/L), Triclocarban (35.6-232.4 ng/L), Trimethoprim (<1-388 ng/L) and Tramadol (<2-883 ng/L) had the highest range of concentrations. Findings confirm the need of i) legislation for environmental monitoring, including biota, ii) toxicological profiling of new market products, and iii) sensitization on appropriate use and disposal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliyu Zakari-Jiya
- African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, PMB, 5323 Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria
| | - Chiara Frazzoli
- Department of Cardiovascular and Endocrine-Metabolic Diseases, and Ageing, Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health), Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Nwadiuto Obasi
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
| | - Bolaji Bernard Babatunde
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
| | - Kingsley C Patrick-Iwuanyanwu
- African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, PMB, 5323 Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
| | - Orish E Orisakwe
- African Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research (ACE-PUTOR), University of Port Harcourt, PMB, 5323 Port Harcourt, Choba, Nigeria; Department of Experimental Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
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Pereira A, Silva L, Laranjeiro C, Lino C, Pena A. Selected Pharmaceuticals in Different Aquatic Compartments: Part II-Toxicity and Environmental Risk Assessment. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25081796. [PMID: 32295269 PMCID: PMC7221825 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Potential risks associated with releases of human pharmaceuticals into the environment have become an increasingly important issue in environmental health. This concern has been driven by the widespread detection of pharmaceuticals in all aquatic compartments. Therefore, 22 pharmaceuticals, 6 metabolites and transformation products, belonging to 7 therapeutic groups, were selected to perform a review on their toxicity and environmental risk assessment (ERA) in different aquatic compartments, important issues to tackle the water framework directive (WFD). The toxicity data collected reported, with the exception of anxiolytics, at least one toxicity value for concentrations below 1 µg L−1. The results obtained for the ERA revealed risk quotients (RQs) higher than 1 in all the aquatic bodies and for the three trophic levels, algae, invertebrates and fish, posing ecotoxicological pressure in all of these compartments. The therapeutic groups with higher RQs were hormones, antiepileptics, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. Unsurprisingly, RQs values were highest in wastewaters, however, less contaminated water bodies such as groundwaters still presented maximum values up to 91,150 regarding 17α-ethinylestradiol in fish. Overall, these results present an important input for setting prioritizing measures and sustainable strategies, minimizing their impact in the aquatic environment.
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Bailey C, von Siebenthal EW, Rehberger K, Segner H. Transcriptomic analysis of the impacts of ethinylestradiol (EE2) and its consequences for proliferative kidney disease outcome in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2019; 222:31-48. [PMID: 31004835 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2019.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Freshwater fish are threatened by the cumulative impact of multiple stressors. The purpose of this study was to unravel the molecular and organism level reactions of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, to the combined impact of two such stressors that occur in the natural habitat of salmonids. Fish were infected with either the myxozoan parasite, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which causes proliferative kidney disease (PKD), or exposed to ethinylestradiol (EE2) an estrogenic endocrine disrupting compound, or to a combination of both (PKD × EE2). PKD is a slow progressive chronic disease here we focused on a later time point (130-day post-infection (d.p.i.)) when parasite intensity in the fish kidney has already started to decrease. At 130 d.p.i., RNA-seq technology was applied to the posterior kidney, the main target organ for parasite development. This resulted with 280 (PKD), 14 (EE2) and 444 (PKD × EE2) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) observed in the experimental groups. In fish exposed to the combination of stressors (PKD × EE2), a number of pathways were regulated that were neither observed in the single stressor groups. Parasite infection, alone and in combination with EE2, only resulted in a low intensity immune response that negatively correlated with an upregulation of genes involved in a variety of metabolic and inflammation resolution processes. This could indicate a trade-off whereby the host increases investment in recovery/resolution processes over immune responses at a later stage of disease. When PKD infection took place under simultaneous exposure to EE2 (PKD × EE2), parasite intensity decreased and pathological alterations in the posterior kidney were reduced in comparison to the PKD only condition. These findings suggest that EE2 modulated these response profiles in PKD infected fish, attenuating the disease impact on the fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christyn Bailey
- University of Bern, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland; Fish Immunology and Pathology Laboratory, Animal Health Research Center (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Elena Wernicke von Siebenthal
- University of Bern, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kristina Rehberger
- University of Bern, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Helmut Segner
- University of Bern, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Länggassstrasse 122, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Johnson AC, Jürgens MD, Edwards FK, Scarlett PM, Vincent HM, von der Ohe P. What Works? the Influence of Changing Wastewater Treatment Type, Including Tertiary Granular Activated Charcoal, on Downstream Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity Over Time. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:1820-1832. [PMID: 31063229 PMCID: PMC6851886 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study reviewed the impacts of wastewater on macroinvertebrates over 4 decades in a United Kingdom lowland river. This involved examining changes in chemicals, temperature, flow, and macroinvertebrate diversity from the 1970s until 2017 for a wastewater-dominated river downstream of Swindon in the United Kingdom (population ~ 220 000). When the wastewater treatment process changed from trickling filter to activated sludge in 1991, biological oxygen demand was nearly halved (90th percentile from 8.1 to 4.6 mg/L), ammonia peaks dropped more than 7-fold (90th percentile from 3.9 to 0.53 mg/L), whereas dissolved oxygen climbed consistently above 60% saturation (10th percentile from 49 to 64%) at a sampling point 2 km downstream of the wastewater treatment plant. A sustained increase in the number of macroinvertebrate species was evident from that point. River flow did not change, temperature rose slightly, and the major metal concentrations declined steadily over most of the monitoring period. Neither the introduction of phosphate stripping in 1999 nor the use of tertiary granular activated charcoal from 2008 to 2014 had strong positive effects on subsequent macroinvertebrate diversity. That the diversity still had not reached the ideal status by 2016 may be related to the modest habitat quality, agricultural pesticides, and limited recolonization potential in the catchment. The results indicate that urban wastewaters, with their chemical pollutants, are today probably not the biggest threat to the macroinvertebrate diversity of multiply stressed lowland rivers in the United Kingdom. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1820-1832. © 2019 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Johnson
- Centre for Ecology & HydrologyWallingfordUnited Kingdom
- Amalex Environmental SolutionsLeipzigGermany
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Jackson LM, Klerks PL. Impact of Long-Term Exposure to 17α-Ethinylestradiol in the Live-Bearing Fish Heterandria formosa. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2019; 77:51-61. [PMID: 30726505 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-019-00600-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a potent synthetic estrogen that is routinely detected in aquatic ecosystems and exhibits estrogenic activity. Acute and chronic toxicity have been described for oviparous and ovoviviparous fish species; however, no information is available on the impacts of EE2 on viviparous, matrotrophic fish despite their ecological importance. The present study investigated the consequences of long-term EE2 exposure in the least killifish (Heterandria formosa). Effects on growth, time-to-sexual maturity, fecundity, and offspring survival were examined in an 8-month, life-cycle experiment. Starting as 0-6-day-old fish, least killifish were continuously exposed to EE2 at nominal concentrations of 0, 5, or 25 ng/L (measured concentrations averaged 0, 4.3, and 21.5 ng/L respectively). In the F0 generation, EE2-exposure did not affect survival but resulted in increased time-to-sexual maturity and a sex-dependent effect on size; female standard length was reduced while male standard length was increased. This caused the ordinarily larger females and smaller males to become more similar in size. Condition factor was reduced for both sexes. Fecundity was reduced by 50% and 75% at 5 and 25 ng/L EE2-exposure respectively. Continued EE2-exposure in the F1 generation resulted in significantly reduced survival. These results suggest that despite their matrotrophic development, these fish experience delayed development and reduced reproductive success from EE2-exposure and that effects appear to intensify in the second generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Latonya M Jackson
- Department of Biology, University of Cincinnati, 155B McMicken Hall, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
| | - Paul L Klerks
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 410 E. St. Mary Blvd., Billeaud Hall, Room 108, Lafayette, LA, 70503, USA
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Marques da Cunha L, Uppal A, Seddon E, Nusbaumer D, Vermeirssen EL, Wedekind C. No additive genetic variance for tolerance to ethynylestradiol exposure in natural populations of brown trout ( Salmo trutta). Evol Appl 2019; 12:940-950. [PMID: 31080506 PMCID: PMC6503824 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most common and potent pollutants of freshwater habitats is 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic component of oral contraceptives that is not completely eliminated during sewage treatment and that threatens natural populations of fish. Previous studies found additive genetic variance for the tolerance against EE2 in different salmonid fishes and concluded that rapid evolution to this type of pollution seems possible. However, these previous studies were done with fishes that are lake-dwelling and hence typically less exposed to EE2 than river-dwelling species. Here, we test whether there is additive genetic variance for the tolerance against EE2 also in river-dwelling salmonid populations that have been exposed to various concentrations of EE2 over the last decades. We sampled 287 adult brown trout (Salmo trutta) from seven populations that show much genetic diversity within populations, are genetically differentiated, and that vary in their exposure to sewage-treated effluent. In order to estimate their potential to evolve tolerance to EE2, we collected their gametes to produce 730 experimental families in blockwise full-factorial in vitro fertilizations. We then raised 7,302 embryos singly in 2-ml containers each and either exposed them to 1 ng/L EE2 (an ecologically relevant concentration, i.e., 2 pg per embryo added in a single spike to the water) or sham-treated them. Exposure to EE2 increased embryo mortality, delayed hatching time, and decreased hatchling length. We found no population differences and no additive genetic variance for tolerance to EE2. We conclude that EE2 has detrimental effects that may adversely affect population even at a very low concentration, but that our study populations lack the potential for rapid genetic adaptation to this type of pollution. One possible explanation for the latter is that continuous selection over the last decades has depleted genetic variance for tolerance to this synthetic stressor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anshu Uppal
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, BiophoreUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Emily Seddon
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, BiophoreUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - David Nusbaumer
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, BiophoreUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, BiophoreUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
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Bailey C, Rubin A, Strepparava N, Segner H, Rubin JF, Wahli T. Do fish get wasted? Assessing the influence of effluents on parasitic infection of wild fish. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5956. [PMID: 30479904 PMCID: PMC6238765 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ecosystems are influenced simultaneously by multiple stressors. One important environmental stressor is aquatic pollution via wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. WWTP effluents may contribute to eutrophication or contain anthropogenic contaminants that directly and/or indirectly influence aquatic wildlife. Both eutrophication and exposure to anthropogenic contaminants may affect the dynamics of fish-parasite systems. With this in mind, we studied the impact of WWTP effluents on infection of brown trout by the parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease (PKD). PKD is associated with the long-term decline of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in Switzerland. We investigated PKD infection of brown trout at two adjacent sites (≈400 m apart) of a Swiss river. The sites are similar in terms of ecology except that one site receives WWTP effluents. We evaluated the hypothesis that fish inhabiting the effluent site will show greater susceptibility to PKD in terms of prevalence and disease outcome. We assessed susceptibility by (i) infection prevalence, (ii) parasite intensity, (iii) host health in terms of pathology, and (iv) estimated apparent survival rate. At different time points during the study, significant differences between sites concerning all measured parameters were found, thus providing evidence of the influence of effluents on parasitic infection of fish in our study system. However, from these findings we cannot determine if the effluent has a direct influence on the fish host via altering its ability to manage the parasite, or indirectly on the parasite or the invertebrate host via increasing bryozoa (the invertebrate host) reproduction. On a final note, the WWTP adhered to all national guidelines and the effluent only resulted in a minor water quality reduction assessed via standardized methods in this study. Thus, we provide evidence that even a subtle decrease in water quality, resulting in small-scale pollution can have consequences for wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christyn Bailey
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Rubin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,University of Applied Sciences, Hepia, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicole Strepparava
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Helmut Segner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-François Rubin
- University of Applied Sciences, Hepia, Geneva, Switzerland.,Maison de la Rivière, Tolochenaz, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Wahli
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Van den Brink PJ, Boxall AB, Maltby L, Brooks BW, Rudd MA, Backhaus T, Spurgeon D, Verougstraete V, Ajao C, Ankley GT, Apitz SE, Arnold K, Brodin T, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Chapman J, Corrales J, Coutellec MA, Fernandes TF, Fick J, Ford AT, Papiol GG, Groh KJ, Hutchinson TH, Kruger H, Kukkonen JV, Loutseti S, Marshall S, Muir D, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Paul KB, Rico A, Rodea-Palomares I, Römbke J, Rydberg T, Segner H, Smit M, van Gestel CA, Vighi M, Werner I, Zimmer EI, van Wensem J. Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:2281-2295. [PMID: 30027629 PMCID: PMC6214210 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have been established to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals will require a healthy and productive environment. An understanding of the impacts of chemicals which can negatively impact environmental health is therefore essential to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, current research on and regulation of chemicals in the environment tend to take a simplistic view and do not account for the complexity of the real world, which inhibits the way we manage chemicals. There is therefore an urgent need for a step change in the way we study and communicate the impacts and control of chemicals in the natural environment. To do this requires the major research questions to be identified so that resources are focused on questions that really matter. We present the findings of a horizon-scanning exercise to identify research priorities of the European environmental science community around chemicals in the environment. Using the key questions approach, we identified 22 questions of priority. These questions covered overarching questions about which chemicals we should be most concerned about and where, impacts of global megatrends, protection goals, and sustainability of chemicals; the development and parameterization of assessment and management frameworks; and mechanisms to maximize the impact of the research. The research questions identified provide a first-step in the path forward for the research, regulatory, and business communities to better assess and manage chemicals in the natural environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2281-2295. © 2018 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Van den Brink
- Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental Research (Alterra), P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alistair B.A. Boxall
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
- Corresponding author:
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Bryan W. Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22 B, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Spurgeon
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8BB, UK
| | | | - Charmaine Ajao
- European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Annankatu 18, 00120 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gerald T. Ankley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, MN, 55804, USA
| | - Sabine E. Apitz
- SEA Environmental Decisions, Ltd., 1 South Cottages, The Ford; Little Hadham, Hertfordshire SG11 2AT, UK
| | - Kathryn Arnold
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM) Research Group, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l’Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Aquatic Ecology Group, BETA Tecnio Centre, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia, Vic, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jennifer Chapman
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Jone Corrales
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | | | - Teresa F. Fernandes
- Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alex T. Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, Portsmouth, England, PO4 9LY, UK
| | - Gemma Giménez Papiol
- Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ksenia J. Groh
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Thomas H. Hutchinson
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom
| | - Hank Kruger
- Wildlife International Ltd., Easton, Maryland, USA
| | - Jussi V.K. Kukkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Stefania Loutseti
- DuPont De Nemours, Agriculture & Nutrition Crop Protection, Hellas S.A. Halandri Ydras 2& Kifisias Avenue 280r. 15232 Athens, Greece
| | - Stuart Marshall
- Unilever, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, MK441LQ, UK. (Retired)
| | - Derek Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1 Canada
| | - Manuel E. Ortiz-Santaliestra
- Spanish Institute of Game and Wildlife Resources (IREC) CSIC-UCLM-JCCM. Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Kai B. Paul
- Blue Frog Scientific Limited, Quantum House, 91 George St., EH2 3ES, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ismael Rodea-Palomares
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jörg Römbke
- ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstrasse 2-14, D-65439 Flörsheim, Germany
| | - Tomas Rydberg
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, PO Box 5302, 40014 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Helmut Segner
- Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mathijs Smit
- Shell Global Solutions, Carel van Bylandtlaan 30, 2596 HR The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
- Department of Ecological Science, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Vighi
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Inge Werner
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | | - Joke van Wensem
- Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, P.O. Box 20901, 2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
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11
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Thrupp TJ, Runnalls TJ, Scholze M, Kugathas S, Kortenkamp A, Sumpter JP. The consequences of exposure to mixtures of chemicals: Something from 'nothing' and 'a lot from a little' when fish are exposed to steroid hormones. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 619-620:1482-1492. [PMID: 29734624 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Ill-defined, multi-component mixtures of steroidal pharmaceuticals are present in the aquatic environment. Fish are extremely sensitive to some of these steroids. It is important to know how fish respond to these mixtures, and from that knowledge develop methodology that enables accurate prediction of those responses. To provide some of the data required to reach this objective, pairs of fish were first exposed to five different synthetic steroidal pharmaceuticals (one estrogen, EE2; one androgen, trenbolone; one glucocorticoid, beclomethasone dipropionate; and two progestogens, desogestrel and levonorgestrel) and concentration-response data on egg production obtained. Based on those concentration-response relationships, a five component mixture was designed and tested twice. Very similar effects were observed in the two experiments. The mixture inhibited egg production in an additive manner predicted better by the model of Independent Action than that of Concentration Addition. Our data provide a reference case for independent action in an in vivo model. A significant combined effect was observed when each steroidal pharmaceutical in the mixture was present at a concentration which on its own would produce no statistically significant effect (something from 'nothing'). Further, when each component was present in the mixture at a concentration expected to inhibit egg production by between 18% (Beclomethasone diproprionate) and 40% (trenbolone), this mixture almost completely inhibited egg production: a phenomenon we term 'a lot from a little'. The results from this proof-of-principle study suggest that multiple steroids present in the aquatic environment can be analysed for their potential combined environmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara J Thrupp
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Tamsin J Runnalls
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Martin Scholze
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Subramaniam Kugathas
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - John P Sumpter
- Institute for the Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK.
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12
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De Castro-Català N, Muñoz I, Riera JL, Ford AT. Evidence of low dose effects of the antidepressant fluoxetine and the fungicide prochloraz on the behavior of the keystone freshwater invertebrate Gammarus pulex. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:406-414. [PMID: 28822331 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, behavior-related endpoints have been proposed as rapid and reliable ecotoxicological tools for risk assessment. In particular, the use of detritivores to test the toxicity of pollutants through feeding is currently becoming a well-known method. Experiments combining feeding with other behavioral endpoints can provide relevant information about direct and indirect toxicological effects of chemicals. We carried out a feeding experiment with the shredder Gammarus pulex in order to detect indirect (through leaf conditioning) and direct effects (through water exposure) of two pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations: the fungicide prochloraz (6 μg/L) and the antidepressant fluoxetine (100 ng/L). Prochloraz inhibited fungal growth on leaves, but it did not affect either the microbial breakdown rates or the C:N ratio of the leaves. Individuals of G. pulex that were fed with treated leaves presented lower consumption rates, not only those fed with prochloraz-treated leaves, but also those fed with fluoxetine-treated leaves, and those fed with the mixture-treated leaves. Mixed-effects models revealed that the swimming velocity of the amphipods after the experiment was modulated by the exposure to fluoxetine, and also by the exposure to prochloraz. We demonstrate that both the antidepressant and the fungicide may cause significant sublethal effects at low concentrations. The combination of behavioral endpoints together with the application of mixed models provided a useful tool for early detection of the effects of toxicity mixtures in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- N De Castro-Català
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - I Muñoz
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J L Riera
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - A T Ford
- Institute of Marine Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road, P04 9LY, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
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13
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Wedekind C. Demographic and genetic consequences of disturbed sex determination. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160326. [PMID: 28760767 PMCID: PMC5540866 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During sex determination, genetic and/or environmental factors determine the cascade of processes of gonad development. Many organisms, therefore, have a developmental window in which their sex determination can be sensitive to, for example, unusual temperatures or chemical pollutants. Disturbed environments can distort population sex ratios and may even cause sex reversal in species with genetic sex determination. The resulting genotype-phenotype mismatches can have long-lasting effects on population demography and genetics. I review the theoretical and empirical work in this context and explore in a simple population model the role of the fitness vyy of chromosomally aberrant YY genotypes that are a consequence of environmentally induced feminization. Low vyy is mostly beneficial for population growth. During feminization, low vyy reduces the proportion of genetic males and hence accelerates population growth, especially at low rates of feminization and at high fitness costs of the feminization itself (i.e. when feminization would otherwise not affect population dynamics much). When sex reversal ceases, low vyy mitigates the negative effects of feminization and can even prevent population extinction. Little is known about vyy in natural populations. The available models now need to be parametrized in order to better predict the long-term consequences of disturbed sex determination.This article is part of the themed issue 'Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claus Wedekind
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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14
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McCallum ES, Du SNN, Vaseghi-Shanjani M, Choi JA, Warriner TR, Sultana T, Scott GR, Balshine S. In situ exposure to wastewater effluent reduces survival but has little effect on the behaviour or physiology of an invasive Great Lakes fish. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2017; 184:37-48. [PMID: 28086147 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Treated effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are a significant source of anthropogenic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, in the aquatic environment. Although our understanding of how wastewater effluent impacts fish reproduction is growing, we know very little about how effluent affects non-reproductive physiology and behaviours associated with fitness (such as aggression and activity). To better understand how fish cope with chronic exposure to wastewater effluent in the wild, we caged round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) for three weeks at different distances from a wastewater outflow. We evaluated the effects of this exposure on fish survival, behaviour, metabolism, and respiratory traits. Fish caged inside the WWTP and close to the outfall experienced higher mortality than fish from the reference site. Interestingly, those fish that survived the exposure performed similarly to fish caged at the reference site in tests of aggressive behaviour, startle-responses, and dispersal. Moreover, the fish near WWTP outflow displayed similar resting metabolism (O2 consumption rates), hypoxia tolerance, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, and blood-oxygen binding affinities as the fish from the more distant reference site. We discuss our findings in relation to exposure site water quality, concentrations of pharmaceutical and personal care product pollutants, and our test species tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S McCallum
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Sherry N N Du
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Maryam Vaseghi-Shanjani
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Jasmine A Choi
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Theresa R Warriner
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tamanna Sultana
- School of Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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15
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Viganò L, Loizeau JL, Mandich A, Mascolo G. Medium- and Long-Term Effects of Estrogenic Contaminants on the Middle River Po Fish Community as Reconstructed from a Sediment Core. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2016; 71:454-472. [PMID: 27655388 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-016-0315-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies showed that endocrine active compounds (EDs) capable to induce fish gonadal histopathologies, plasma vitellogenin and thyroid disruption, are transported by the River Lambro to the River Po, potentially affecting the fish community of the main Italian river. To assess whether fish relative abundance, composition and health were impaired by the River Lambro, a 3-year survey was undertaken in the main river. Results showed that the tributary supports in the River Po a denser fish community (+43 %), with a higher total biomass (+35 %). The survey also showed niche- and sensitivity-dependent effects, so that three benthopelagic species (bleak, topmouth gudgeon, and bitterling) were, for example, more abundant downstream from the tributary (up to 3.4×), but their sizes were significantly smaller. The present fish community was then compared with that described 30 years before in the same area of the Po River. This comparison highlighted that some fish species have disappeared and many have severely declined. To better evaluate this contrast, a sediment core of the Lambro tributary was analysed for the time trends of natural estrogens (E1, E2, E3), bisphenol A and alkylphenols. The results showed that during the last 50 years the River Lambro has been exposed to high estrogenic activities (16.1 ± 9.3 ng E2 equivalents/g), which inevitably affected also the River Po. In addition, at the time of the previous survey, six species of the main river had skewed sex ratios toward all-female populations, providing evidence that EDs and particularly (xeno)estrogens were already affecting the long-term viability of fish populations. Estrogens thus can be ascribed among the causal factors of fish qualitative and quantitative decline of the River Po, although long-term effects have been likely mitigated by nonconfinement of fish populations and nutrient enrichment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Viganò
- Water Research Institute, National Council of Research (IRSA-CNR), via del Mulino 19, 20861, Milan, Brugherio, Italy.
| | - J-L Loizeau
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Uni Carl Vogt, Bd Carl-Vogt 66, 1211, Genève 4, Switzerland
| | - A Mandich
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - G Mascolo
- Water Research Institute, National Council of Research (IRSA-CNR), via F. de Blasio 5, Bari, Italy
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16
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Heynen M, Backström T, Fick J, Jonsson M, Klaminder J, Brodin T. Home alone-The effects of isolation on uptake of a pharmaceutical contaminant in a social fish. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 180:71-77. [PMID: 27658223 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
A wide range of biologically active pharmaceutical residues is present in aquatic systems worldwide. As uptake potential and the risk of effects in aquatic wildlife are directly coupled, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between stress by isolation, uptake and effects of the psychiatric pharmaceutical oxazepam in fish. To do this, we measured cortisol levels, behavioral stress responses, and oxazepam uptake under different stress and social conditions, in juvenile perch (Perca fluviatilis) that were either exposed (1.03μgl-1) or not exposed to oxazepam. We found single exposed individuals to take up more oxazepam than individuals exposed in groups, likely as a result of stress caused by isolation. Furthermore, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was significantly negatively correlated with fish weight in both social treatments. We found no effect of oxazepam exposure on body cortisol concentration or behavioral stress response. Most laboratory experiments, including standardized bioconcentration assays, are designed to minimize stress for the test organisms, however wild animals experience stress naturally. Hence, differences in stress levels between laboratory and natural environments can be one of the reasons why predictions from artificial laboratory experiments largely underestimate uptake of oxazepam, and other pharmaceuticals, in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Heynen
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Sweden.
| | - Tobias Backström
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Micael Jonsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Jonatan Klaminder
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden
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17
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Johnson AC, Sumpter JP. Are we going about chemical risk assessment for the aquatic environment the wrong way? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:1609-1616. [PMID: 27331653 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The goal of protecting the aquatic environment through testing thousands of chemicals against hundreds of aquatic species with thousands of endpoints while also considering mixtures is impossible given the present resources. Much of the impetus for studies on micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, came from the topic of endocrine disruption in wild fish. But despite concern over reductions in fish fertility, there is little evidence that fish populations are in peril. Indeed, fish biologists suggest that many cyprinid populations have been recovering for the past 30 to 40 yr. The central assumption, key to current risk assessment, that effects observed in the laboratory or predicted by models are readily transferrable to the population level, is therefore questionable. The neglect in monitoring wildlife populations is the key weakness in environmental protection strategies. If we do not know whether aquatic wildlife species are declining or increasing, how valuable are our other ecotoxicological activities? Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1609-1616. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Johnson
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - John P Sumpter
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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18
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Schoenfuss HL, Furlong ET, Phillips PJ, Scott TM, Kolpin DW, Cetkovic-Cvrlje M, Lesteberg KE, Rearick DC. Complex mixtures, complex responses: Assessing pharmaceutical mixtures using field and laboratory approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:953-65. [PMID: 26561986 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Revised: 04/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are present in low concentrations (<100 ng/L) in most municipal wastewater effluents but may be elevated locally because of factors such as input from pharmaceutical formulation facilities. Using existing concentration data, the authors assessed pharmaceuticals in laboratory exposures of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and added environmental complexity through effluent exposures. In the laboratory, larval and mature minnows were exposed to a simple opioid mixture (hydrocodone, methadone, and oxycodone), an opioid agonist (tramadol), a muscle relaxant (methocarbamol), a simple antidepressant mixture (fluoxetine, paroxetine, venlafaxine), a sleep aid (temazepam), or a complex mixture of all compounds. Larval minnow response to effluent exposure was not consistent. The 2010 exposures resulted in shorter exposed minnow larvae, whereas the larvae exposed in 2012 exhibited altered escape behavior. Mature minnows exhibited altered hepatosomatic indices, with the strongest effects in females and in mixture exposures. In addition, laboratory-exposed, mature male minnows exposed to all pharmaceuticals (except the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor mixture) defended nest sites less rigorously than fish in the control group. Tramadol or antidepressant mixture exposure resulted in increased splenic T lymphocytes. Only male minnows exposed to whole effluent responded with increased plasma vitellogenin concentrations. Female minnows exposed to pharmaceuticals (except the opioid mixture) had larger livers, likely as a compensatory result of greater prominence of vacuoles in liver hepatocytes. The observed alteration of apical endpoints central to sustaining fish populations confirms that effluents containing waste streams from pharmaceutical formulation facilities can adversely impact fish populations but that the effects may not be temporally consistent. The present study highlights the importance of including diverse biological endpoints spanning levels of biological organization and life stages when assessing contaminant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko L Schoenfuss
- Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
| | - Edward T Furlong
- National Water Quality Laboratory, US Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Pat J Phillips
- New York Science Center, US Geological Survey, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Tia-Marie Scott
- New York Science Center, US Geological Survey, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Dana W Kolpin
- Iowa Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | - Kelsey E Lesteberg
- Laboratory for Immunology, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
| | - Daniel C Rearick
- Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
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19
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Brooks BW, Lazorchak JM, Howard MDA, Johnson MVV, Morton SL, Perkins DAK, Reavie ED, Scott GI, Smith SA, Steevens JA. Are harmful algal blooms becoming the greatest inland water quality threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:6-13. [PMID: 26771345 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In this Focus article, the authors ask a seemingly simple question: Are harmful algal blooms (HABs) becoming the greatest inland water quality threat to public health and aquatic ecosystems? When HAB events require restrictions on fisheries, recreation, and drinking water uses of inland water bodies significant economic consequences result. Unfortunately, the magnitude, frequency, and duration of HABs in inland waters are poorly understood across spatiotemporal scales and differentially engaged among states, tribes, and territories. Harmful algal bloom impacts are not as predictable as those from conventional chemical contaminants, for which water quality assessment and management programs were primarily developed, because interactions among multiple natural and anthropogenic factors determine the likelihood and severity to which a HAB will occur in a specific water body. These forcing factors can also affect toxin production. Beyond site-specific water quality degradation caused directly by HABs, the presence of HAB toxins can negatively influence routine surface water quality monitoring, assessment, and management practices. Harmful algal blooms present significant challenges for achieving water quality protection and restoration goals when these toxins confound interpretation of monitoring results and environmental quality standards implementation efforts for other chemicals and stressors. Whether HABs presently represent the greatest threat to inland water quality is debatable, though in inland waters of developed countries they typically cause more severe acute impacts to environmental quality than conventional chemical contamination events. The authors identify several timely research needs. Environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, and risk-assessment expertise must interface with ecologists, engineers, and public health practitioners to engage the complexities of HAB assessment and management, to address the forcing factors for HAB formation, and to reduce the threats posed to inland surface water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
| | - James M Lazorchak
- Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Meredith D A Howard
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, California, USA
| | - Mari-Vaughn V Johnson
- Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture, Temple, Texas, USA
| | - Steve L Morton
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Dawn A K Perkins
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Euan D Reavie
- Natural Resources Research Institute, Center for Water and the Environment, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Geoffrey I Scott
- Department of Environmental Health Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jeffery A Steevens
- US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA
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Acuña V, Ginebreda A, Mor JR, Petrovic M, Sabater S, Sumpter J, Barceló D. Balancing the health benefits and environmental risks of pharmaceuticals: Diclofenac as an example. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2015; 85:327-333. [PMID: 26454833 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are designed to improve human and animal health, but even the most beneficial pharmaceuticals might raise some questions concerning the consequences of exposure to non-target organisms. To illustrate this situation and using diclofenac as a case-study, we analyze global consumption and occurrence data to identify hot spots of consumption without occurrence data, review the scientific literature on the harmful environmental effects to determine whether the observed concentrations in freshwater are of environmental concern, summarize the current pharmaceutical and environmental policies to highlight policy gaps, and suggest a series of research and policy recommendations, which can be summarized as follows: we need to improve the current knowledge on occurrence in freshwaters to properly implement environmental policies (i), diclofenac might pose a risk to non-target organisms in freshwater (ii); the harmful effects that some pharmaceuticals may have on the environment are not always addressed by environmental policies (iii).
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Affiliation(s)
- V Acuña
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - A Ginebreda
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Carrer Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - J R Mor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - M Petrovic
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Sabater
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Campus Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Spain
| | - J Sumpter
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom
| | - D Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Carrer Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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Arnold KE, Brown AR, Ankley GT, Sumpter JP. Medicating the environment: assessing risks of pharmaceuticals to wildlife and ecosystems. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0569. [PMID: 25405959 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Global pharmaceutical consumption is rising with the growing and ageing human population and more intensive food production. Recent studies have revealed pharmaceutical residues in a wide range of ecosystems and organisms. Environmental concentrations are often low, but pharmaceuticals typically are designed to have biological effects at low doses, acting on physiological systems that can be evolutionarily conserved across taxa. This Theme Issue introduces the latest research investigating the risks of environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceuticals to vertebrate wildlife. We take a holistic, global view of environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals encompassing terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems in high- and low-income countries. Based on both field and laboratory data, the evidence for and relevance of changes to physiology and behaviour, in addition to mortality and reproductive effects, are examined in terms of the population- and community-level consequences of pharmaceutical exposure on wildlife. Studies on uptake, trophic transfer and indirect effects of pharmaceuticals acting via food webs are presented. Given the logistical and ethical complexities of research in this area, several papers focus on techniques for prioritizing which compounds are most likely to harm wildlife and how modelling approaches can make predictions about the bioavailability, metabolism and toxicity of pharmaceuticals in non-target species. This Theme Issue aims to help clarify the uncertainties, highlight opportunities and inform ongoing scientific and policy debates on the impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Ross Brown
- AstraZeneca Safety, Health and Environment, Brixham Environmental Laboratory, Brixham, UK University of Exeter, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Exeter, UK
| | | | - John P Sumpter
- Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
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Backhaus T. Medicines, shaken and stirred: a critical review on the ecotoxicology of pharmaceutical mixtures. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0585. [PMID: 25405972 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Analytical monitoring surveys routinely confirm that organisms in the environment are exposed to complex multi-component pharmaceutical mixtures. We are hence tasked with the challenge to take this into consideration when investigating the ecotoxicology of pharmaceuticals. This review first provides a brief overview of the fundamental approaches for mixture toxicity assessment, which is then followed by a critical review on the empirical evidence that is currently at hand on the ecotoxicology of pharmaceutical mixtures. It is concluded that, while the classical concepts of concentration addition and independent action (response addition) provide a robust scientific footing, several knowledge gaps remain. This includes, in particular, the need for more and better empirical data on the effects of pharmaceutical mixtures on soil organisms as well as marine flora and fauna, and exploring the quantitative consequences of toxicokinetic, toxicodynamic and ecological interactions. Increased focus should be put on investigating the ecotoxicology of pharmaceutical mixtures in environmentally realistic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22B, Box 461, 40530 Göteborg, Sweden
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Signaling on Prozac: altered audience effects on male-male interactions after fluoxetine exposure in Siamese fighting fish. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2005-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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