Effects of metal-polluted seawater on life parameters and the induction of oxidative stress in the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus

• Published in: Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology Vol. 225; p. 108576
• Main Authors: Jeong, Chang-Bum, Lee, Young Hwan, Park, Jun Chul, Kang, Hye-Min, Hagiwara, Atsushi, Lee, Jae-Seong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2019
• Subjects: Animals; Aquatic Organisms - metabolism; Biomarker gene; Metal toxicity; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Republic of Korea; Rotifera - metabolism; Seawater; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Youngil Bay; Republic of Korea; Biomarker gene; Youngil Bay; Seawater; Metal toxicity
• ISSN: 1532-0456; 1878-1659
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2019.108576

Metal pollution is one of the major threats to the aquatic environment due to its high bio-concentrations and toxicity. Although numerous studies have been conducted to understand detoxification and toxicity mechanisms in aquatic invertebrates, most of them were limited in laboratory study. Here, we investigated adverse effects of the contaminated-natural seawater on the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus. Field seawater was collected from five different sites of Youngil Bay, South Korea where pollution by metals is predicted due to industrial discharges from nearby steel industry complexes. The marine rotifer B. koreanus was exposed to different seawater samples, and we found decreased population growth rates with highly induced transcriptional level of detoxification-related genes. Our finding shows a link between the induction of metal-mediated regulation of detoxification genes in B. koreanus and concentration of heavy metals present in various seawater samples, implying those biomarker genes can be useful to assess the toxicity of metal polluted natural seawaters. Our results are helpful to validate and establish biomarker genes for early risk assessment of metal contamination in the natural sea water. [Display omitted] •ICP-MS analysis revealed the presence of nickel, copper, zinc, and lead in Youngil Bay, South Korea.•Decreased population growth rates were shown in B. koreanus upon seawater exposures.•Detoxification-related genes were highly induced upon seawater exposures.•The induction of detoxification genes was correlated with concentration of heavy metals in various seawaters.