Comparative toxicities of aluminum and zinc from sacrificial anodes or from sulfate salt in sea urchin embryos and sperm

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2010-09, Vol.73 (6), p.1138-1143
• Main Authors: Caplat, Christelle, Oral, Rahime, Mahaut, Marie-Laure, Mao, Andrea, Barillier, Daniel, Guida, Marco, Della Rocca, Claudio, Pagano, Giovanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alum Compounds - chemistry; Alum Compounds - toxicity; Aluminum; Animals; Antifouling; Chromosome Aberrations - chemically induced; Control equipment; Developmental defects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Echinoidea; Electrodes; Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Embryonic Development - drug effects; Embryonic Development - genetics; Embryos; Environmental Sciences; Exposure; Fertilization - drug effects; Fertilization success; Hormesis; Male; Marine; Mitosis - drug effects; Mitotic abnormalities; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities - chemically induced; Musculoskeletal Abnormalities - embryology; Paracentrotus lividus; Sacrificial anodes; Sea urchins; Sea Urchins - drug effects; Sea Urchins - embryology; Sea Urchins - genetics; Solubility; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Sulfates; Toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Purification - instrumentation; Zinc; Zinc Sulfate - chemistry; Zinc Sulfate - toxicity
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2010.06.024

The toxicity of aluminum or zinc from either sacrificial anodes (SA) or their sulfate salts (SS) was evaluated in sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) embryos or sperm exposed to Al(III) or Zn(II) (SA or SS, 0.1–10μM), scoring developmental defects (DDs), fertilization rate (FR), and mitotic abnormalities. A significant DD increase was observed in SS, but not SA Al(III)- and Zn(II)-exposed embryos vs. controls. Both Al(III) and Zn(II), up to 10μM, from SA and SS, inhibited mitotic activity and induced mitotic aberrations in exposed embryos. SA-Al(III)-exposed sperm displayed a significant FR increase, unlike Al(III) sulfate overlapping with controls. Both SA-Zn(II) and Zn(II) sulfate sperm exposure resulted in a significant FR increase. The offspring of SA-Al(III)-exposed sperm displayed a significant DD decrease, unlike Al(III) sulfate exposure. Zinc sulfate sperm exposure resulted in a significant increase in offspring DDs, whereas SA-Zn(II) sperm exposure decreased DDs. Together, exposures to SA-dissolved Al(III) or Zn(II) resulted in lesser, if any toxicity, up to hormesis, compared to SS. Studies of metal speciation should elucidate the present results.