Department Environmental Chemistry

Bioaccumulation of organic pollutants in freshwater organisms: Biotransformation and its significance

Bioaccumulation, as a consequence of interaction between organism and contaminants, is an unfavorable symptom for individual organism or/and its population in view of ecotoxicology. As the contaminants are accumulated, they are partly biologically transformed and then excreted. This process leads to lower bioaccumulation and less toxicity in most cases. Due to lack of data on biotransformation products (BTPs) and their contributions to bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms, the entire processes of bioaccumulation possibly explaining chemical fate and toxicity is still not well understood. Fortunately, with highly developed analytical tools, i.e. high resolution mass spectrometry, it becomes feasible to identify BTPs and track their pathways through biological processes responding to chemical exposure. Information about BTPs can be applicable to assess ecotoxicological risks posed on aquatic organisms accumulating environmental pollutants. In addition rules governing biotransformation can be developed and feed into appropriate predictive models.

The goal of the present study is to estimate bioaccumulation factors of selected environmental organic pollutants for freshwater organisms, e.g., Daphnia magna, Gammarus pulex, to identify BTPs and their major pathways, and to evaluate contribution of biotransformation to overall bioaccumulation. 

Publications

Rösch, A.; Gottardi, M.; Vignet, C.; Cedergreen, N.; Hollender, J. (2017) Mechanistic understanding of the synergistic potential of azole fungicides in the aquatic invertebrate Gammarus pulex, Environmental Science and Technology, 51(21), 12784-12795, doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b03088, Institutional Repository
Rösch, A.; Anliker, S.; Hollender, J. (2016) How biotransformation influences toxicokinetics of azole fungicides in the aquatic invertebrate Gammarus pulex, Environmental Science and Technology, 50(13), 7175-7188, doi:10.1021/acs.est.6b01301, Institutional Repository
Kim, H. Y.; Jeon, J.; Hollender, J. I.; Yu, S.; Kim, S. D. (2014) Aqueous and dietary bioaccumulation of antibiotic tetracycline in D. magna and its multigenerational transfer, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 279, 428-435, doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.07.031, Institutional Repository
Jeon, J. H.; Kretschmann, A.; Escher, B. I.; Hollender, J. (2013) Characterization of acetylcholinesterase inhibition and energy allocation in Daphnia magna exposed to carbaryl, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 98, 28-35, doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.09.033, Institutional Repository
Jeon, J.; Kurth, D.; Ashauer, R.; Hollender, J. (2013) Comparative toxicokinetics of organic micropollutants in freshwater crustaceans, Environmental Science and Technology, 47(17), 8809-8817, doi:10.1021/es400833g, Institutional Repository
Jeon, J.; Kurth, D.; Hollender, J. (2013) Biotransformation pathways of biocides and pharmaceuticals in freshwater crustaceans based on structure elucidation of metabolites using high resolution mass spectrometry, Chemical Research in Toxicology, 26(3), 313-324, doi:10.1021/tx300457f, Institutional Repository
Kretschmann, A.; Ashauer, R.; Hitzfeld, K.; Spaak, P.; Hollender, J.; Escher, B. I. (2011) Mechanistic toxicodynamic model for receptor-mediated toxicity of diazoxon, the active metabolite of diazinon, in Daphnia magna, Environmental Science and Technology, 45(11), 4980-4987, doi:10.1021/es1042386, Institutional Repository
Kretschmann, A.; Ashauer, R.; Preuss, T. G.; Spaak, P.; Escher, B. I.; Hollender, J. (2011) Toxicokinetic model describing bioconcentration and biotransformation of diazinon in Daphnia magna, Environmental Science and Technology, 45(11), 4995-5002, doi:10.1021/es104324v, Institutional Repository