PUBLICATION

Using morphological, behavioral, and molecular biomarkers in Zebrafish to assess the toxicity of lead-contaminated sediments from a retired trapshooting range within an urban wetland

Authors
Olson, A.J., Cyphers, T., Gerrish, G., Belby, C., King-Heiden, T.C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-180814-9
Date
2018
Source
Journal of toxicology and environmental health. Part A   81(18): 924-938 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
ALA-D, lead toxicity, trapshooting range
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers/metabolism
  • Bone and Bones/abnormalities*
  • Bone and Bones/drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Fish Proteins/genetics
  • Fish Proteins/metabolism
  • Geologic Sediments/analysis
  • Lead/toxicity*
  • Nitrates/toxicity*
  • Porphobilinogen Synthase/genetics*
  • Porphobilinogen Synthase/metabolism
  • Reflex, Startle/drug effects*
  • Toxicity Tests, Acute
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity*
  • Wetlands
  • Zebrafish/anatomy & histology
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish/physiology*
PubMed
30102137 Full text @ J. Toxicol. Environ. Health. A.
Abstract
The widespread use of lead (Pb) shot in shooting activities, including at former shooting ranges, continues to pose environmental risks. The La Crosse River Marsh (located in Wisconsin, USA) is a biologically diverse urban riparian wetland with a legacy of Pb-contaminated sediment resulting from its use as a trap shooting range from 1929-1963. Within the shot fall zone, shot densities exceed 43,000 pellets/m2 and surface sediments exceed 25,000 mg/kg in some areas. This study used the Zebrafish as a model to determine the acute toxicity of these contaminated sediments. Zebrafish were exposed to sediments containing approximately 13 to 13,450 mg/kg Pb for 5 days (8-120 hr post-fertilization). The toxic responses to sediments were non-monotonic. Only exposure to sediments containing "mid-range" concentrations of Pb (4580 mg/kg) induced mild skeletal malformations and a sluggish C-start response indicating that Pb was marginally bioavailable. Expression of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) also indicated the potential for uptake of Pb from sediments. Our findings suggest that Pb within the La Crosse River Marsh sediments is not readily bioavailable to Zebrafish, and while this metal poses a minimal acute toxicological risk, toxicity due to chronic exposure of low concentrations of Pb is possible. Further, our data demonstrated that induction of ALA-D gene expression in Zebrafish embryos shows promise as an alternative to ALA-D enzyme activity as a biomarker for acute Pb exposure under lab conditions.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping