Assessment of contaminant concentrations in sediments, fish and mussels sampled from the North Atlantic and European regional seas within the ICON project.

Understanding the status of contaminants in the marine environment is a requirement of European Union Directives and the Regional Seas Conventions, so that measures to reduce pollution can be identified and their efficacy assessed. The international ICON workshop (Hylland et al., in this issue) was developed in order to test an integrated approach to assessing both contaminant concentrations and their effects. This paper describes and assesses the concentrations of trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments, mussels, and fish collected from estuarine, coastal and offshore waters from Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea. For organic contaminants, concentrations progressively increased from Iceland, to the offshore North Sea, to the coastal seas, and were highest in estuaries. Metals had a more complex distribution, reflecting local anthropogenic inputs, natural sources and hydrological conditions. Use of internationally recognised assessment criteria indicated that at no site were concentrations of all contaminants at background and that concentrations of some contaminants were of significant concern in all areas, except the central North Sea.

Inflammation-induced formation of fat-associated lymphoid clusters.

Fat-associated lymphoid clusters (FALCs) are a type of lymphoid tissue associated with visceral fat. Here we found that the distribution of FALCs was heterogeneous, with the pericardium containing large numbers of these clusters. FALCs contributed to the retention of B-1 cells in the peritoneal cavity through high expression of the chemokine CXCL13, and they supported B cell proliferation and germinal center differentiation during peritoneal immunological challenges. FALC formation was induced by inflammation, which triggered the recruitment of myeloid cells that expressed tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) necessary for signaling via the TNF receptors in stromal cells. Natural killer T cells (NKT cells) restricted by the antigen-presenting molecule CD1d were likewise required for the inducible formation of FALCs. Thus, FALCs supported and coordinated the activation of innate B cells and T cells during serosal immune responses.

Measurement of organic contaminants and biological effects in Scottish waters between 1999 and 2005.

Concentrations of organic contaminants were determined in sediment and fish collected annually at six sites around Scotland between 1999 and 2005, as part of the UK National Marine Monitoring Programme. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and chlorobiphenyls (CBs) were measured in sediment, while CBs and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activities were measured in the fish. Highest PAH concentrations in sediment were found at sites where higher coastal influences would be expected (e.g., Clyde and Solway) and four of the six sites gave PAH concentrations above OSPAR background assessment concentrations (BACs). A significant downward trend in the median total PAH concentrations, normalised to total organic carbon (TOC), was found at one of the six sites (Minches). The PAH profiles at all sites were consistent over the 6 year period, indicating that the sites are relatively stable and PAH sources are not changing. There was an indication of a greater petrogenic input on the west coast, with sediment from the Clyde, Solway and Minches having a greater proportion of 2- and 3-ring PAHs and a lower proportion of 5-ring PAHs. CB concentrations at all sites were low compared with UK estuarine sites and similar to sediment from more remote areas: however, BACs were exceeded. No significant trends were detected in either the sediment CB concentrations or patterns at any of the six sites. CB concentrations were significantly higher in fish liver collected from the Clyde. Concentrations at the other five sites were low, with the majority of samples having concentrations for the ICES7 CBs of <500 microg kg(-1) lipid weight. However, individual CB concentrations were still above the BACs. Hepatic EROD activities were measured in male plaice from 2002-2005 and were generally low (<10 pmol min(-1) mg protein(-1)). No temporal trends were detected in either CB concentrations or the EROD activity.

Vitellogenin in the blood plasma of male cod (Gadus morhua): a sign of oestrogenic endocrine disruption in the open sea?

An ELISA for cod vitellogenin (VTG) has been set up using cod lipovitellin for plate coating and standardisation. The assay has been applied to plasma samples collected from male and female cod caught in three distinct areas around the UK, three areas off the Norwegian coast and also to cod reared initially at an aquaculture site and subsequently maintained at a research station. The aim of the study was to determine whether there were any signs of oestrogenic endocrine disruption in a fish species living offshore. VTG induction was found in male cod caught in the North Sea, the Shetland Box area, in Oslofjord and also in cultivated fish. There was a strong relationship between concentrations of VTG and fish size. There was no evidence that the presence of VTG in the plasma of males is a natural part of their life cycle. On the other hand, the size of fish at which these elevated VTG concentrations appear (ca. 5 kg) is about the size that cod change from feeding primarily on benthic invertebrates to mainly other fish, both benthic and pelagic. The possibility is suggested that large cod pick up oestrogenic endocrine disrupters through the food chain.

Toxic equivalency factors for PAH and their applicability in shellfish pollution monitoring studies.

Fish and shellfish are exposed to a wide range of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) following oil spills at sea, and can become contaminated as a result. Finfish have a more effective mixed-function oxidase enzyme system than shellfish, and are therefore able to metabolise and excrete PAH more effectively than the invertebrates. Thus, contamination by high-molecular weight PAH, including those with carcinogenic potential and so of concern with regard to human consumers, is therefore usually observed in shellfish, and particularly in bivalve molluscs. Oil spills are not the sole source of PAH, however, as parent compounds are also generated by a wide range of combustion processes. In this paper, consideration is given to monitoring data gathered following recent oil spills (both of crude oil and diesel fuel), alongside data from other studies. These include studies conducted around a former gasworks site and downstream of an aluminium smelter in the UK, and from mussel monitoring studies undertaken in the UK and the USA (including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the National Status and Trends programme), and in other countries in Europe. For comparative purposes the PAH concentrations are summed and also expressed as benzo[a]pyrene equivalents, their relative concentrations being weighted in relation to the carcinogenic potential of individual PAH compounds using toxic equivalency factors (TEF). Our aim was to assess the utility of this approach in fishery resource monitoring and control following oil spills. Certainly this approach seems useful from the data assessed in this study. and the relative ranking of the various studies seems to reflect the relative degree of concern for human consumers due to the differing contamination sources. As a simple tool for control purposes it is equally applicable to PAH derived from oil spills, and from industrial and combustion sources.