Dredging influenced sediment toxicity of endosulfan and lindane on black tiger shrimp （Penaeus monodon Fabricius） in Chantaburi River estuary in Thailand

Series of experiments, including background sediment elutriate, spiked-sediment elutriate and spiked- water toxicity tests, were carried out to study the effect of dredging on survivability and ecological competence of commercially important shrimp postlarvae of Penaeus monodon Fabricius. The test sediment represented the most contaminated from endosulfan and lindane in the Chantaburi river mouth estuary. The maximum sediment contamination levels were 49.4 μg/kg of endosulfan and 58.1 μg/kg of lindane in dry weight basis. Dose-response studies in static, non-renewal spiked-sediment elutriate toxicity tests revealed that LC 50 （96 h） values for survival effect based on measured concentrations were 0.50 （0.26-0.95） μg/L for endosulfan and 0.92 （0.63-1.34） μg/L for lindane. The LOECs for endosulfan and lindane were 0.141 and 0.429 μg/L, respectively. The NOECs were estimated to be the dissoluted endosulfan and lindane concentrations from the Chantaburi estuary sediment. The effects on phenoloxidase enzyme activity in shrimp postlarvae exposed for sub-lethal to lethal doses in sediment elutriate were not significant （p〉0.05） at all tested dose levels. The worst case dissolution concentrations of endosulfan and lindane in the water column upon simulatory dredging in the Chantaburi estuary were found to be toxic to shrimp postlarvae on lethal and sub-lethal effects. The NOECs of respective chemicals （i.e., 0.034 and 0.16 μg/L） shared the same orders of magnitude for corresponding NOECs established for whole salt water aquatic life by the USEPA and ＂safe＂ levels calculated by 0.01 safety factor approach. In addition, the significance of multiple pollutant assessments for ecological toxicity testing is highlighted.     

Toxicity identification in metal plating effluent: implications in establishing effluent discharge limits using bioassays in Korea

Because of complexity and diversity of toxicants in effluent, chemical analysis alone gives very limited information on identifying toxic chemicals to test organisms. Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) techniques have been widely used to identify toxicants in various samples including industrial wastewater as well as natural waters. In response to new regulation for effluent discharge in Korea, which will be effective from 2011, a necessity of studies emerges that investigates toxicity levels in industrial effluents. This work was a preliminary study examining toxicity levels in effluent from one metal plating factory using Daphnia magna (48 h immobility) and identifying toxicity-causing substances. Toxicity tests showed variability on different sampling occasions and the results of TIE methods indicated that both organic compounds and metals contributed to the observed toxicity in metal plating effluent. Further studies are necessary to help reduce effluent toxicity especially from direct dischargers, who will have to comply with the new regulation.     

Effect of glyphosate-based herbicide on early life stages of Java medaka (Oryzias javanicus): A potential tropical test fish

Glyphosate is globally a widely used herbicide, yet there is little information on their toxicity to marine fishes. Java medaka, a small tropical fish native to coastal areas in several Southeast Asian countries, is viewed as a suitable candidate for toxicity test and thus was used for this study. Java medaka adults were cultured in the laboratory and the fertilized eggs of the F₂ generation were exposed to different concentrations of glyphosate-based herbicide (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm) until they hatched. The survival and hatching rates of the embryos, changes in the heart rate and morphological impairments were recorded. Generally, survival and hatching percentage decreased as glyphosate concentration increased. Absence of pectoral fin(s) and cornea, permanently bent tail, irregular shaped abdomen, and cell disruption in the fin, head and abdomen are among the common teratogenic effects observed. Furthermore, risk factor also increased with the increased in glyphosate concentrations.     

Partitioning behavior of perfluorinated compounds between sediment and biota in the Pearl River Delta of South China

Surface sediment and biota were collected from 12 sampling sites – seven along the Pearl River Delta and five along the Hong Kong coastline. Perfluorinated compound (PFC) concentrations were detected using a high-performance-liquid-chromatogram–tandem-mass-spectrometry system. Analytical results indicated that the total PFC concentrations were in the range of 0.15–3.11 ng/g dry weight in sediments, while the total PFC concentrations in oyster and mussel samples were between 0.46–1.96 and 0.66–3.43 ng/g wet weight, respectively. The major types of PFCs detected in the sediment samples were perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), with concentrations ranging from low limits of quantification to 0.86 ± 0.12 ng/g dry weight and 1.50 ± 0.26 ng/g dry weight, respectively. In bivalve samples, PFOS was the dominant contaminant with concentrations ranging from 0.25 ± 0.09 to 0.83 ± 0.12 ng/g wet weight in oysters and 0.41 ± 0.14 to 1.47 ± 0.25 ng/g wet weight in mussels. An increase in PFC concentration was found to be correlated with increased human population density in the study areas.     

Assessing metal toxicity in sediments using the equilibrium partitioning model and empirical sediment quality guidelines: A case study in the nearshore zone of the Bohai Sea,China

Surface sediments were collected from five nearshore (wastewater discharges, aquaculture facilities and a seaport) sites in Bohai Bay and Laizhou Bay, China. The equilibrium partitioning (EqP) model and empirical sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) were applied to assess the potential metal toxicity in the collected sediments. The results show that, based on the EqP model, 35% of stations exhibited potential metal toxicity. Several metals (Cu, Ni and Cr) exceeded the empirical SQGs (9–93% of the time), however these guidelines may not be suitable for use in the Bohai Sea owing to the background concentrations. The EqP model is a more useful method for assessing potential metal toxicity in Bohai Sea sediment than the empirical SQGs. Additionally, we have provided new understanding about methods for assessing sediment metal toxicity in the Bohai Sea that may be useful in other coastal areas in China.     

Metabolism and organ distribution of nonylphenol in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Nonylphenol (NP) is a breakdown product of alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEs), an important class of non-ionic surfactants that are widely used in many detergent formulations and plastic products for industrial and domestic use. A complex microbial degradation pattern, characterized by the formation of several metabolic products that are more toxic than the parent compound, has been established for APEs. We have studied the in vivo metabolism and organ distribution of NP in juvenile salmon. Fish were exposed to a single oral dose of [³H]-4-n-NP (1295 KBq, 25 μg) and sampled at 24, 48 and 72 h after exposure. Metabolites were separated by radio-high-performance liquid chromatography and tentatively identified by co-chromatography with standards characterized by mass spectrometry. Our results show that 4-n-NP was mainly metabolized in vivo to its corresponding glucuronide conjugate and to a lesser extent to various hydroxylated and oxidated compounds. Biliary excretion at 72 h after dosing amounted to 2.83±0.75% of the administered radioactivity. Kinetic analysis shows that NP-glucuronide accounted for 83, 95 and 81% of total radioactivity in the HPLC-injected bile sample at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively, after exposure. The half-life of residues in carcass and muscle was between 24 and 48 h after exposure.     

双壳类清滤率在海洋污染物毒性研究中的应用

以海湾扇贝(Argopectenirradians)和紫贻贝 (Mytilusedulis)的清滤率为指标 ,研究了金矿废水及其组分、三苯基氯化锡及塔玛亚历山大藻的毒性 ,结果表明金矿废水及其主要组分丁级黄药、CN-和重金属Cd2 +、Cu2 +、Zn2 +对海湾扇贝清滤率的半抑制浓度EC50 分别为40.6 %、7.52、0.226、0.189、0.02、1.10mg/L ;三苯基氯化锡对海湾扇贝的半抑制浓度EC50 为4.86×10-9g/L;塔玛亚历山大藻能抑制紫贻贝的清滤率,半抑制浓度EC50为6000cells/ml。由以上结果可见 ,双壳类清滤率能快速、敏感地反应污染物的影响 ,是海洋污染物毒性研究的一个良好指标。     

Comparative toxic effects of copper-based nanoparticles and their microparticles in Daphnia magna by using natural freshwater media

Copper-based nanoparticles (NPs) are being widely used in different application fields and their health impacts to aquatic environments represent a current concern. Few studies are available about their comparative toxicity with their bulks and ions under natural exposition in aquatic organisms. Thus, the toxicity of Cu and CuO NPs and their microparticle and ionic forms was assayed in the acute immobilisation test of Daphnia magna by using freshwater media. Electronic microscopy, laser doppler velocimetry, and dynamic laser scattering methodologies were used to NPs characterisation. The results indicated that CuNPs and CuONPs were more toxic than their microparticles. Among NPs, CuNPs showed higher toxicity than CuONPs. Copper-based nanoparticles showed similar hydrodynamic particle size and were agglomerated in culture media, suggesting toxic-ionic release relationship and corroborated by the high toxicity induced by CuSO₄. Additionally, water chemistry of natural freshwater used in the experiments also favoured the ion release of these NPs.