M4 AM Endocrine Disruption in Fish
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 11:40 AM in Ballroom 4

(VAN-1117-858168) Toxicogenomic evaluation of salmon exposed to municipal waste water effluents discharged into the Pacific Ocean.

van Aggelen, G¹, Osachoff, H¹, Skirrow, R¹, Bruno, J¹, ¹ Environment Canada, North Vancouver, BC, Canada

ABSTRACT- As a project funded under the Georgia Basin Action Plan, the Toxicology Section of Environment Canada^,s Pacific Environmental Science Centre (PESC) conducted toxicological studies on a select number of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and effluents from municipal waste water treatment plants that discharge into the Georgia Basin (Pacific Ocean). The purpose of these studies was to determine the potential for the effluents and PPCPs, at receiving water concentrations, to cause endocrine disruptor effects in salmonids. The PESC Chemistry section profiled sewage effluents by analyzing for: sterols, metals, PCBs, acidic drugs, musks, and phthalates. PESC used both conventional toxicological endpoints and gene array technology (genomics) to determine potential molecular level toxicity resulting from exposure to endocrine disrupting substances contained in the effluent. A rainbow trout (RBT) cDNA microarray has been developed in-house that can be used with Pacific salmonid species, such as chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho (O. kisutch). The RBT microarray comprises 207 cDNA gene transcripts representing broad gene classes such as growth, immune response, metabolism, oncogenesis, transcription and reproduction. Toxicogenomic testing involved hatchery-raised underyearling Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) acclimated to seawater (26 %o salinity) and then exposed to whole Municipal Waste Water Effluent (MWWE; raw sewage) at receiving water concentrations. Discussion will draw together results of molecular endpoints (microarray and vitellogenin protein data) with physiological changes and chemistry data.

Key words: microarray, salmon, sewage