PM15 Biomarkers
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Monday
(PM220) The use of biomarkers to evaluate contaminant effects on largemouth bass from Lake Conestee, SC, USA.
Schreiber, E1, Otter, R1, Klaine, S1, van den Hurk, P1, 1 Clemson Institute of Environmental Toxicology, Pendleton, SC, United States
ABSTRACT- Lake Conestee is a heavily polluted Superfund site (Targeted Brownsfield Program), located south of Greenville, SC, in the Reedy River. Lake Conestee collects approximately 90% of urban- point- and non-point source run-off from the city of Greenville. During the past century the size of the lake has been reduced from 145 to 20 acres due to heavy sediment deposition caused by urbanization. The lake sediments were found to have high concentrations of heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides. In this study, biomarkers of indigenous fish were measured to characterize exposure and stress of these sediment-bound contaminants. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were collected, and analyzed for a suite of biochemical biomarkers. In addition, bass from two nearby lakes situated 24 miles and 34 miles downstream of Lake Conestee, were sampled. Two reference lakes in adjacent, similar basins were also sampled. Results showed a significant difference in EROD activity in bass liver between one of the Reedy River lakes and the control lake Saluda, indicating an impact of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons on the fish. In addition to EROD activity, a suite of biological indicators, including phase II biotransformation enzymes glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) , glutathione S-transferase (GST), and sulfotransferase (SULT), as well as the specific biomarker for lead exposure, aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) were used to investigate the biological effects on largemouth bass present in Lake Conestee and other neighboring lakes in the same watershed.
Key words: largemouth bass, biomarkers