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Taking Metabolomics to the Field: A Pilot Study in a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC)
Citation:
Ekman, D., DAN VILLENEUVE, Z. Jorgenson, K. Lee, D. M. SKELTON, Q. TENG, E. J. DURHAN, K. M. JENSEN, M. D. KAHL, J. CAVALLIN, G. T. ANKLEY, AND T. W. COLLETTE. Taking Metabolomics to the Field: A Pilot Study in a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC). Presented at SETAC 33rd North America Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA, November 11 - 15, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation for SETAC North America 33rd Annual Meeting.
Description:
Measurement of changes in endogenous metabolites via 1H-NMR-based metabolomics has shown great potential for assessing organisms exposed to environmental pollutants, and thus could aid the efforts of risk assessors. However, to date, the application of metabolomics to ecological studies (i.e., eco-metabolomics) remains relatively uncommon. Rarer still is the application of eco-metabolomics outside of controlled laboratory settings, such as in the study of wild or cage-deployed organisms. With this in mind, we have been working to apply metabolomics technologies to analyze samples from organisms exposed in the field as a means to assess the health of surface waters receiving effluent from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). Presented here are the results of a pilot metabolomics study conducted in the St. Louis River AOC, one of 43 Great Lakes AOCs. We report on the impact of exposures on the liver metabolome of caged fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) at various sites, including areas receiving treated effluent from WWTPs within this AOC. These sites are characterized by complex mixtures of anthropogenic chemicals (i.e., multiple stressors) as well as other stressors characteristic of urban influenced surface waters. The impact of exposure on the metabolite profiles of the caged fathead minnows showed what appeared to be a proximity effect in which those deployed more closely to the effluent outflow responded more severely than those deployed more distally. Furthermore, the impact of exposure appeared more drastic for female fish than male fish, highlighting the importance of assessing sex dependent responses. In addition to metabolomics measurements, a variety of other molecular indicators as well as apical, whole organism endpoints have been collected from the deployed fish. Our goal is to integrate these multiple measurements in order to better track/understand fish responses resulting from exposure to the multiple stressors present in these waterways, and ul
