Bisphenol risk in fish exposed to a contamination gradient: Triggering of spatial avoidance

Author(s)

Silva, Daniel C. V. R. ^[1] ; Araujo, Cristiano V. M. ^[2] ; Franca, Fernanda M. ^[3] ; Neto, Morun B. ^[4] ; Paiva, Teresa C. B. ^[5] ; Silva, Flavio T. ^[5] ; Pompeo, Marcelo L. M. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] CSIC, Inst Marine Sci Andalusia, Dept Ecol & Coastal Management, Campus Rio S Pedro, Cadiz 11510 - Spain

^[3] APTA SAA, Inst Fisheries, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Engn Sch Lorena, Dept Basic & Environm Sci, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Engn Sch Lorena, Dept Biotechnol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY; v. 197, p. 1-6, APR 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an emerging contaminant widely used in various industrial products. Sublethal toxicity of BPA on aquatic organisms is expected to occur at a concentration of around 500 mu g L-1, which is much higher than environmentally realistic concentrations found in water bodies (up to 0.41 mu g L-1). However, there is no information concerning how a BPA contamination gradient could affect the spatial displacement of organisms. We hypothesized that fish might be able to detect an environmentally realistic BPA contamination gradient and avoid potential toxic effects due to continuous exposure. Therefore, the objectives of this work were: (i) to determine if BPA could trigger an avoidance response in the freshwater fish Poecilia reticulata; (ii) to assess whether BPA-driven avoidance occurs at environmentally relevant concentrations; and (iii) to estimate the population immediate decline (PID) at the local scale, considering avoidance and mortality as endpoints. Avoidance experiments were performed in a seven-compartment non-forced exposure system, in which a BPA contamination gradient was simulated. The results indicated that BPA triggered avoidance in P. reticulata. In a traditional forced acute toxicity test, lethal effects in 50% of the population occurred at a BPA concentration of 1660 mu g L-1, while in the non-forced system with a BPA concentration gradient, avoidance of 50% of the population occurred at a concentration four orders of magnitude lower (0.20 mu g L-1). At environmentally relevant BPA concentrations, PID was mainly determined by the avoidance response. Avoidance in P. reticulata populations is expected to occur at BPA concentrations below those that cause sublethal effects on fish and are considered safe by international agencies (<= 1 mu g L-1). The approach used in the present study represents a valuable tool for use in environmental risk assessment strategies, providing a novel and ecologically relevant response that is complementary to traditional ecotoxicological tests. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/22581-8 - The European Union's Water Framework Directive: applications to Brazilian reservoirs reality
• Grantee: Marcelo Luiz Martins Pompêo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants