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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on August 14, 2009
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2009 66(10):2089-2105; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsp194
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© 2009 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

A retrospective analysis to explore the applicability of fish biomarkers and sediment bioassays along contaminated salinity transects

Cor A. Schipper1, Joost Lahr2, Paul J. van den Brink2,3, Steve G. George4, Peter-Diedrich Hansen5, Helena C. da Silva de Assis5, Ron van der Oost6, John E. Thain7, Dave Livingstone8, Carys Mitchelmore9, Frederik-Jan van Schooten10, Freek Ariese11, Albertinka J. Murk12, Guy C. M. Grinwis13, Hans Klamer14, Belinda J. Kater15, Jaap F. Postma16, Bert van der Werf2 and A. Dick Vethaak1

1 Deltares, Marine and Coastal Systems, PO Box 177, 2600 MH Delft, The Netherlands
2 Wageningen UR, Alterra, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
3 Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
4 Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
5 Department of Ecotoxicology, Berlin University of Technology, Franklinstrasse 29, D-10587 Berlin, Germany
6 Waternet, Institute for Water Cycle Management, PO Box 94370, 1090 GJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
7 Cefas, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT, UK
8 Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
9 Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland, PO Box 38, Solomons, MD 20688, USA
10 Department of Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
11 Institute for Environmental Studies/IVM, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
12 Toxicology Section, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, 6700 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands, and Wageningen IMARES, PO Box 68, 1970 AB IJmuiden, The Netherlands
13 Pathology Division, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80158, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
14 Waterdienst, PO Box 17, 8200 AA Lelystad, The Netherlands
15 Alkyon Hydraulic Consultancy & Research, PO Box 248, 8300 AE Emmeloord, The Netherlands
16 Ecofide, Lakenkopersweg 20, 1383 CS Weesp, The Netherlands

Correspondence to C. A. Schipper: tel: +31 88 3358084; fax: +31 15 285 8582; e-mail: cor.schipper{at}deltares.nl

Schipper, C. A., Lahr, J., van den Brink, P. J., George, S. G., Hansen, P-D., da Silva de Assis, H. C., van der Oost, R., Thain, J. E., Livingstone, D., Mitchelmore, C., van Schooten, F-J., Ariese, F., Murk, A. J., Grinwis, G. C. M., Klamer, H., Kater, B. J., Postma, J. F., van der Werf, B., and Vethaak, A. D. 2009. A retrospective analysis to explore the applicability of fish biomarkers and sediment bioassays along contaminated salinity transects. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 2089–2105.

Biological-effects monitoring in estuarine environments is complex as a result of strong gradients and fluctuations in salinity and other environmental conditions, which may influence contaminant bioavailability and the physiology and metabolism of the organisms. To select the most robust and reliable biological-effect methods for monitoring and assessment programmes, a large-scale field study was conducted in two estuarine transects in the Netherlands. The locations ranged from heavily polluted harbour areas (the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam) to cleaner coastal and freshwater sites. Assessment methods used included a variety of biomarkers in flounder (Platichthys flesus) and a range of in vitro (sediment extracts) and in vivo bioassays. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied to investigate correlations and relationships between various biological effects and contaminant levels in flounder liver or sediments. Several biological methods seemed to be too much affected by salinity differences for routine use in estuaries. The most discriminative biomarkers in the study were hepatic metallothionein content and biliary 1-OH pyrene in fish. Mechanism-based in vitro assays DR-CALUX and ER-CALUX applied to sediment extracts for screening of potential toxicity were much more responsive than in vivo bioassays with macro-invertebrates using survival as an endpoint.

Keywords: bioassays, biomarkers, estuaries, field study, flounder, multivariate analysis

Received 30 November 2008; accepted 4 June 2009; advance access publication 14 August 2009.


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