PARENT SESSION
22 - Biochemical, Cellular and Molecular Background of Biomarkers
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday, 13 May 2002
Exhibition Area

(22-20) CityFish: Correlation between PAH exposure and biomarkers in caged carp and feral bream .

Verweij, Frank^*,1, Ceradini, Sergio², Agradi, Elisabetta³, Van der Oost, Ron¹, ¹ OMEGAM Environmental Research Institute, P.O. 94685, Amsterdam, The Netherlands² CESI, Via R. Rubattino 54, Milan, Italy³ The University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan, Italy

ABSTRACT- The CITYFISH project aims to establish links between the chemical and ecological quality of urban rivers and the population biology, biochemical and physiological status of resident fish species. In spring and autumn feral bream were collected at three samplings sites at the Amstel River. Genetically identical male carp of a cultured fishline were caged for four weeks at the same three sites as well as at clean and heavily polluted reference sites. Both caged and feral fish were analysed for biliary levels of pyrene type of metabolites and hepatic EROD activity and CYP1A levels. Semi permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were exposed for four weeks at the same five sites used for the caging experiments. The SPMDs were spiked with performance reference compounds (PRCs) in order to assess the SPMD sampling rate. SPMDs and sediment samples from each site were analysed for PCBs, OCPs and PAHs. A positive linear correlation was observed between pyrene metabolites in caged carp bile and the pyrene water concentration, assessed with the pyrene levels in the co-exposed SPMDs. Similar correlations were observed between the pyrene metabolites in feral bream bile and the SPMD-assessed pyrene water concentrations, although PAH metabolite levels in bream bile were significantly lower than those observed in carp. The pyrene sediments levels only correlated weakly with the PAH metabolites in fish, which might indicate that direct sediment uptake is not a significant route for PAH exposure. EROD activities and CYP1A levels were significantly induced at the three most polluted sites. A good correlation between EROD, CYP1A and PAH metabolites was observed at two of the PAH polluted sites. At the heavily polluted reference site, EROD and CYP1A did not correlate with biliary PAH metabolites, indicating that EROD and CYP1A were probably induced by other substances, such as chlorinated pesticides and dioxins.

Key words: fish, PAH-metabolites, CYP1A, SPMDs