HP5 Biomarkers
203 Oregon Ballroom
1:20 PM - 5:20 PM, Thursday
() The Legendre Fish Biomarker Study – are Fish Affected by Petroleum Production in the North West Shelf of Australia?
GAGNON, M.M.1, 1 Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
ABSTRACT- The Legendre oil production facility is located 105 km north of Dampier, Western Australia. The study sampled two species of trevally prior to discharges of Produced Formation Water (PFW), and after 20 months exposure to PFW (Phase I and II respectively). A sharp increase in internal parasitism was noticed in Phase II. The liver somatic index (LSI) was similar in Phase I and II trevally sp. For both species of trevally, EROD activity was similar in pre- and post-exposure fish. Biliary metabolites of naphthalene-, pyrene- and benzo(a)pyrene-types were found in significantly high levels in Phase II fish, indicating that uptake and metabolism of these contaminants had occurred. In both species of trevally captured in Phase II, DNA damage in the gills was similar to pre-exposure levels, suggesting that no significant alterations of the integrity of the DNA resulted from chronic PFW exposure. In Giant trevally, the stress proteins HSP70 measured in the gills were at significantly higher levels in fish exposed to PFW. In gold-spotted trevally, HSP70 levels were also higher in Phase II fish relative to Phase I baseline levels. In general, evidence of exposure to PFW, and of uptake and metabolism of petroleum compounds was provided by the presence of biliary metabolites. A similar level of DNA damages in pre-exposed and chronically exposed fish is most likely due to the efficiency of enhanced repair mechanisms eg stress proteins, suggesting that fish are at this point able to cope with the induced chemical injuries related to chronic exposure to PFW.
Key words: fish biomarkers, petroleum production, stress proteins, dna damage