Radiation dose estimation for marine mussels following exposure to tritium: Best practice for use of the ERICA tool in ecotoxicological studies.

Accurate dosimetry is critically important for ecotoxicological and radioecological studies on the potential effects of environmentally relevant radionuclides, such as tritium ((3)H). Previous studies have used basic dosimetric equations to estimate dose from (3)H exposure in ecologically important organisms, such as marine mussels. This study compares four different methods of estimating dose to adult mussels exposed to 1 or 15 MBq L(-1) tritiated water (HTO) under laboratory conditions. These methods were (1) an equation converting seawater activity concentrations to dose rate with fixed parameters; (2) input into the ERICA tool of seawater activity concentrations only; (3) input into the ERICA tool of estimated whole organism concentrations (woTACs), comprising dry activity plus estimated tissue free water tritium (TFWT) activity (TFWT volume × seawater activity concentration); and (4) input into the ERICA tool of measured whole organism activity concentrations, comprising dry activity plus measured TFWT activity (TFWT volume × TFWT activity concentration). Methods 3 and 4 are recommended for future ecotoxicological experiments as they produce values for individual animals and are not reliant on transfer predictions (estimation of concentration ratio). Method 1 may be suitable if measured whole organism concentrations are not available, as it produced results between 3 and 4. As there are technical complications to accurately measuring TFWT, we recommend that future radiotoxicological studies on mussels or other aquatic invertebrates measure whole organism activity in non-dried tissues (i.e. incorporating TFWT and dry activity as one, rather than as separate fractions) and input this data into the ERICA tool.

Assessment of growth, genotoxic responses and expression of stress related genes in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas following chronic exposure to ionizing radiation.

Marine organisms are exposed to low doses of anthropogenic contaminants during their entire life. Authorized amounts of radionuclides are discharged in the Channel by nuclear facilities. The Pacific oyster was used to investigate the potential impact of chronic exposure to ionizing radiation. Though we exposed larvae and spat for two weeks to much higher concentrations than those encountered near nuclear facilities, oyster growth and expression of 9 selected stress genes were not significantly changed. To determine potential DNA damage, 2year old oysters were exposed for two weeks to tritiated water. The comet assay was used to evaluate the level of DNA strand breaks in haemocytes, whilst the 'clearance rate' was used as a measure of physiological effects. Whilst other parameters did not alter, DNA damage significantly increased. Our results highlight the significance of the observed DNA damage and their potential consequences at higher levels of biological organization.

Effects of subchronic exposure to glyphosate in juvenile oysters (Crassostrea gigas): From molecular to individual levels.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are extensively used and can be measured in aquatic ecosystems, including coastal waters. The effect of glyphosate on non-target organisms is an issue of worldwide concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subchronic exposure to glyphosate in juvenile oysters, Crassostrea gigas. Yearling oysters were exposed to three concentrations of glyphosate (0.1, 1 and 100µgL(-1)) for 56days. Various endpoints were studied, from the individual level (e.g., gametogenesis and tissue alterations) to the molecular level (mRNA quantification), including biochemical endpoints such as glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase activities and malondialdehyde content. No mortality and growth occurred during the experiment, and individual biomarkers revealed only slight effects. The levels of gene expression significantly increased in oysters exposed to the highest glyphosate concentration (GST and metallothioneins) or to all concentrations (multi-xenobiotic resistance). These results suggested an activation of defence mechanisms at the molecular level.

Effect of chronic exposure to zinc in young spats of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas).

The marine coastal environment is exposed to a mixture of environmental pollutants of anthropogenic origin, resulting in chronic low concentrations of contaminants. As a consequence, most coastal marine species are exposed to low doses of such pollutants during their entire life. Many marine species live for years in their natural environment, whereas they do not under laboratory exposure conditions. Using early stages of development in laboratory work allows animals to be chronically exposed from an early age over a reasonable experiment period. In the present study, the authors investigated the effect of chronic exposure to zinc in spats of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), from metamorphosis up to 10 weeks. The authors investigated integrated biological endpoints that would account for the apparent general health of the animals as well as molecular markers showing more subtle effects that could potentially go unnoticed at a biologically integrated level. The authors measured in parallel both growth and the transcriptional level of target stress genes. Growth was monitored by image analysis of large samples to avoid high variability and ensure statistical robustness. A dose-response relationship was derived from growth data, yielding a median effective concentration (EC50) of 7.55 µM. Stress genes selected on the basis of available RNA sequences in C. gigas included genes involved in chaperone proteins, oxidative stress, detoxification, and cell cycle regulation. Out of nine stress target genes, only metallothionein displayed overexpression in response to high levels of zinc.