Incorporation of biomarkers into ecological risk assessments of contaminated nearshore marine habitats

• Published in: Marine environmental research 1996-10, Vol.42 (1), p.274-274
• Main Authors: Collier, T.K., Johnson, L.L., Myers, M.S., Casillas, E., Stein, J.E., Varanasi, U.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0141-1136; 1879-0291
• DOI: 10.1016/0141-1136(96)87068-1

Vertebrate and invertebrate fishery resources inhabiting contaminated subtidal habitats suffer a variety of biological effects as a result of their exposure to chemical contaminants. These effects include impaired reproduction, reduced growth, and toxicopathic disease. Strong correlations have been demonstrated between the occurrence of some of these conditions and the levels of certain classes of contaminants in the sediments at sampling sites, on the West, East, and Gulf Coasts of the USA. Moreover, relative risks for development of toxicopathic liver disease in bottomfish have been calculated for several risk factors at a large number of sites, and the indices of reproductive dysfunction at certain sites have been used in projection models to determine the potential for contaminated sediments to reduce populations of bottomfish. However, in order to be able to determine risk factors more precisely, it is important to be able to use individual-based, rather than site-based, statistical analyses. It is in this context that biomarkers of contaminant exposure and effects are demonstrating their utility in ecological risk assessments (ERAs). Biomarkers which we have thus far incorporated into these types of calculations include levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds (FACs) in bile, hepatic activities and levels of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A), levels of hepatic DNA adducts, plasma levels of sex hormones, such as estradiol, and toxicopathic lesions. This presentation includes examples of the use of these biomarkers for determination of individual risk factors, and suggestions for how other biomarkers can be evaluated and incorporated into ERAs based on field data. Additionally, there is a need to determine appropriate threshold levels for manifestation of biological effects, and here again biomarkers can be used to move from site-based to individual-based calculations. Finally, remediation efforts which are currently ongoing should be used as field laboratories to test the hypotheses generated from ERAs, and examples of the use of biomarkers for this purpose will be given.