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HISTORICAL MONITORING OF BIOMARKERS OF EXPOSURE OF BROWN BULLHEAD
Citation:
Lin, E.L C., T W. Neiheisel, J E. Flotemersch, B Subramanian, S M. Cormier, D. E. Williams, M. E. Lowry, AND M. R. Millward. HISTORICAL MONITORING OF BIOMARKERS OF EXPOSURE OF BROWN BULLHEAD. Presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Baltimore, MD, November 11-15, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
Biomarkers of exposure to chemical contamination, benzo(a)pyrene (BAP) and naphthalene (NAPH) type metabolites were measured in brown bullhead from a heavily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contaminated section of the Black River, Ohio during and immediately after remedial sediment dredging in 1990-1991, and in follow-up visits in 1993 and 1998. Biomarker levels in bullhead from the historically polluted Cuyahoga River and the protected Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Sanctuary in Ohio were also measured over the same time periods. PAH-bile metabolite concentrations of bullhead from the Black River were still elevated in the year following dredging, but were significantly lower in the later resampling years. Metabolite concentrations in Cuyahoga River bullhead decreased significantly between 1991 and 1993, possibly in response to the shutdown of coking operations on the river. Fish from the Old Woman Creek site showed some variation in metabolite levels among periods, but were consistently lower than the other two rivers. Measurement of bile metabolites proved an effective tool for estimating changes in exposure over time and among sampling sites. Trends in biomarkers indicated lowered exposures in the Black and Cuyahoga Rivers. These findings are likely a result of remediation activities in the Black River and source reduction and incidental sediment displacement in the Cuyahoga River.