Organ distribution and bioaccumulation of microcystins in freshwater fish at different trophic levels from the Eutrophic Lake Chaohu, China

• Published in: Environmental toxicology Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 293 - 300
• Main Authors: Xie, L, Xie, P, Guo, L, Li, L, Miyabara, Y, Park, H.D
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.06.2005; Wiley
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; algal blooms; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Carassius auratus; China; Diet; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacokinetics; Eutrophication; fish; Fishes - physiology; Food Chain; Freshwater; freshwater fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; human health; Hypophthalmichthys molitrix; lakes; microcystin; Microcystins; Microcystis - pathogenicity; organ distribution; Parabramis pekinensis; Peptides, Cyclic - pharmacokinetics; risk assessment; Risk Factors; Tissue Distribution; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; China; Asia; China, People's Rep., Anhui Prov., Chaohu L; China, People's Rep; food chain; Ecotoxicology; bioaccumulation; Eutrophication; Freshwater environment; Trophic chain; Vertebrata; Trophic level; Pisces; fish; Lakes; Environment; Biological accumulation; organ distribution; Organ; microcystin
• ISSN: 1520-4081; 1522-7278
• DOI: 10.1002/tox.20120

This article reports the organ distribution and bioaccumulation of hepatotoxic microcystins (MCs) in freshwater fishes at different trophic levels from the large, shallow, eutrophic Lake Chaohu in September 2003, when there were heavy surface blooms of toxic cyanobacteria. Among all fish, intestines and blood had the highest average content of MC-RR + MC-LR (22.0 and 14.5 microgram g(-1) DW, respectively), followed by liver, bile, and kidney (7.77, 6.32, and 5.81 microgram g(-1) DW, respectively), whereas muscle had the least (1.81 microgram g(-1) DW). MC content in muscle was highest in carnivorous fish (Culter ilishaeformis, 2.22 microgram g(-1) DW) and omnivorous fish (Carassius auratus, 1.96 microgram g(-1) DW) and was lowest in phytoplanktivorous fish (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, 1.65 microgram g(-1) DW) and herbivorous fish (Parabramis pekinensis 0.660 microgram g(-1) DW). However, the amount of MC in the gut of H. molitrix (137 microgram g(-1) DW) was more than 20 times that in the other fish (<6.50 microgram g(-1) DW). The MCs showed a tendency to accumulate up the food chain, and piscivorous fish at the top of the food chain were at high risk of exposure to MCs in Lake Chaohu. Our study is the first to report MC concentrations in the bile and blood of wild fish. One hundred grams of fish muscle would contain 2.64-49.7 microgram of MC-LR equivalent, or about 1.3-25 times the recommended tolerable daily intake of MC-LR by humans, indicating that fish are already severely contaminated by MCs and that the local authorities should warn the public of the risk of poisoning by eating the contaminated fish.