Bioaccumulation
of chlorpyrifos through an experimental food chain: Study of protein HSP70
as biomarker of sublethal stress in fish
I. Varo, R. Serrano, E. Pitarch, F. Amat, F.J. Lopez,
J.C. Navarro-2002
Archives of Environmental Contamination and
Toxicology, 42(2): 229-235 (from
Current Contents)
Abstract :
The accumulation and transfer of the organophosphorus
pesticide chlorpyrifos has been studied in an experimental aquatic two-level
food chain using two species of the crustacean Artemia (A. franciscana and
A. parthenogenetica) and the small fish Aphanius iberus. Artemia adults
contaminated by exposure to the pesticide in water were used as live prey
for Aphanius, the next trophic level. During the experimental
bioaccumulation phase, fish were fed chlorpyrifos-contaminated Artemia pools
with concentrations between 6.5 and 14.5 ng/g fresh weight for 32 days. Both
concentrations accumulated in fish, and biomagnification factor (BMF) values
showed a continuous decrease during the bioaccumulation phase, probably due
to the physicochemical characteristics of the organophosphorus pesticide, to
the biotransformation ability of fish and to the progressive adaptation of
fish metabolism to toxic exposure. The first day that fish were fed
uncontaminated preys, the pesticide accumulated via food was rapidly
eliminated and was not detected. The effect of chlorpyrifos exposure through
the food chain on stress protein (HSP70) synthesis was measured as a general
biochemical response of stress in the fish (A. iberus). The levels of HSP70
were significantly higher in fish fed on contaminated Artemia than in the
control fish fed on uncontaminated Artemia. Results showed that the HSP70
induction in fish could be associated to exposure of chlorpyrifos via food.
(CSIC, Inst Acuicultura Torre Sal, Ribera De Cabanes
12595, Castellon, Spain, e-mail of R. Serrano: serrano@exp.uji.es)