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Photoenhanced Toxicity of Oil to Larval Fish
Citation:
BARRON, M. G. Photoenhanced Toxicity of Oil to Larval Fish. Presented at 36th Annual Larval Fish Conference, Bergen, NORWAY, July 02 - 06, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
Invited key note speech at Larval Fish Conference
Description:
Photoenhanced toxicity is the increase in the toxicity of a chemical in the presence of ultraviolet light (UV), compared to toxicity elicited under conditions of minimal UV. Oil products, weathered oils, combusted oil products, and specific polycyclic aromatic compounds in oil have been demonstrated to be phototoxic. Depending on the intensity and spectrum of solar radiation and extent of petroleum exposure, UV can increase PAH toxicity to aquatic organisms by 2 to greater than 1000 times. The phototoxic components of petroleum are three to five ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocycles with specific ring conformations, including anthracenes, fluoranthenes, and dibenzothiophenes. Alkyl substitution that predominates in petroleum products does not appear to affect the degree of phototoxicity. Photoenhanced toxicity shows large differences in life stage and species sensitivity. Larval fish are at particular risk from photoenhanced toxicity of spilled oil because their relatively translucency increases their tissue exposure to UV and they inhabit the upper water column and nearshore areas that may receive the highest solar radiation exposures.