Wildlife toxicology biomarkers of genotoxic expos

Authors: Cole W Matson Annika M Gillespie Chris McCarthy Thomas J McDonald John W Bickham Robert Sullivan K C Donnelly

Publish Date: 2009/06/17

Volume: 18, Issue: 7, Pages: 886-898

PDF Link

Abstract

A large number of hazardous waste sites in the United States have undergone the initial stages of remediation or containment At many of the remaining sites the potential for exposure to ecological receptors is a primary concern This manuscript reports on studies to investigate the impact on ecological receptors exposed to complex mixtures at a former creosote facility Currently there are isolated areas onsite that were not addressed in the initial removal action that appear to be releasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs to the surrounding environment The US EPA collected environmental samples and performed ex situ sediment bioassays to measure chronic toxicity whereas this study describes an in situ study to measure biomarkers of effect in two ecological receptors Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis and cricket frogs Acris crepitans were collected from a small intermittent creek adjacent to the site and reference stations A weightofevidence ecological risk assessment was completed for the amphibian and fish communities The ecological risk assessment was developed using analysis of media chemistry body burden of specific PAHs bioassay results community surveys and cellular genome size variation as a biomarker of genotoxicity Flow cytometric estimates of chromosomal damage were significantly elevated for both mosquitofish and cricket frogs inhabiting the contaminated site relative to at least one reference site Surface water screening values for fish and amphibians exceeded screening values for PAHs by more than one order of magnitude in the onsite creek and sediment PAH concentrations were extremely high up to 1549 μg/dry g Tissue concentrations of PAHs were below screening values Media chemistry bioassay and genotoxicity data all support the same conclusion that onsite PAHs continue to impact aquatic receptors The genotoxicity findings are consistent with and contribute to results of the weightofevidence ecological risk assessment The results support continuing efforts to incorporate biomarkers as valuable lines of evidence within ecological risk assessmentThe authors acknowledge the technical support and guidance of staff from the USEPA and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department This work was funded by Texas AM NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program P42ES04917 Partial salary support was provided to CWM by the Duke NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Center P42ES010356 An earlier version of this manuscript was included as a chapter in the dissertation of AMG

Keywords: