TP6 Effects of PAHs: Predicting Field Effects from Lab Studies
Room 18A/B, Level 4
2:10 PM - 5:30 PM, Tuesday, 11 November 2003
Chair: Hellou, Jocelyne ,
(298) Field exposed mussels and laboratory tested amphipods: similarities in PAH availability and effects.
Hellou, J.1, 2, Cheeseman, K.3, Desnoyers, E.2, Gagne, F.4, Gronlund, A.3, Johnston, D.2, Law, R.5, Leonard, J.1, Robertson, S.3, Steller, S.1, 1 Fisheries and Oceans, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada2 Dalhousie University, Chemistry Department, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada3 Dalhousie University, Biology Department, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada4 Environment Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada5 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT- A study was undertaken in an urbanised harbour receiving raw sewage effluents to assess the health of that environment. Blue mussels were easily available from many areas around the shore and chosen for our investigation. The bioaccumulation of organic contaminants, especially PAH was examined in the inter-tidal mussels along with lipid content, condition indices, reproductive cycle and stress response, at three sites located closer and further away from combined municipal sewage effluents. Mytilus edulis were then ranked for the chemical and biological markers of exposure to compare bioavailability and health. The uptake of PAH by the bivalves exposed through filter feeding and respiration was further evaluated relative to the uptake of contaminants by amphipods that burrow in sediments. Corophium volutator were collected from a pristine beach in Nova Scotia and exposed in the laboratory to harbour sediments obtained near the mussels′ sites. The bioaccumulation and depuration of PAH was also compared to biological effects, i.e. lipid content, body residue, as well as behaviour of amphipods, while the reproductive cycle of mussels was examined relative to the reproductive success of amphipods. The response of amphipods was interpreted relative to that of mussels, with short−term vis à vis long-term exposure. Changing time trends in terms of bioaccumulation were observed in local mussels collected in the field and perhaps what could be described as the more persistent bioaccumulation in benthic amphipods exposed in the lab. PAH were good markers of anthropogenic lipophilic contaminants in both species, but links between cause−effects are still required.
Key words: amphipods, mussels, PAH, markers