TY - JOUR

T1 - Zinc and cadmium accumulation in single zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos - A total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry application

AU - Mages, Margarete

AU - Bandow, Nicole

AU - Küster, Eberhard

AU - Brack, Werner

AU - von Tümpling, Wolf

PY - 2008/12/1

Y1 - 2008/12/1

N2 - Trace metals such as Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn) are known to exhibit adverse effects on many aquatic organisms including early life stages of fish. In contact with contaminated sediment, fish eggs and embryos may be exposed to metals via the water phase as well as via direct contact with contaminated particles. This may result in body burdens that are difficult to predict and may vary according to individual micro scale exposure conditions. The highly sensitive total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) may provide a tool to analyse individual embryos for internal contaminant concentrations and thus helps to develop a better understanding of dose-response relationships. To test this hypothesis, embryos of Danio rerio were exposed to Cd and Zn spiked sediment in different treatments applying an ion exchange resin for modification of bioavailable concentrations. The TXRF analysis indicated individual embryos with dramatically enhanced exposure compared to other individuals despite uniform exposure conditions on a macro scale. Ion exchanger reduced embryo Zn concentrations to values close to control value with a comparably low standard deviation. Cadmium concentrations in embryos were in the range of 4000 to 7000 μg/g with a median of 5740 μg/g. A commercial ion exchanger reduced individual body burdens by a factor 50 to 100. Individual peak body burdens of up to 3160 μg/g were accompanied by reduced weight of the fish eggs due to early death i.e. coagulation. The investigation of exposure and effects on an individual-based scale may significantly help to reduce uncertainty and inconsistencies occurring in conventional analysis of pooled fish embryo samples.

AB - Trace metals such as Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn) are known to exhibit adverse effects on many aquatic organisms including early life stages of fish. In contact with contaminated sediment, fish eggs and embryos may be exposed to metals via the water phase as well as via direct contact with contaminated particles. This may result in body burdens that are difficult to predict and may vary according to individual micro scale exposure conditions. The highly sensitive total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF) may provide a tool to analyse individual embryos for internal contaminant concentrations and thus helps to develop a better understanding of dose-response relationships. To test this hypothesis, embryos of Danio rerio were exposed to Cd and Zn spiked sediment in different treatments applying an ion exchange resin for modification of bioavailable concentrations. The TXRF analysis indicated individual embryos with dramatically enhanced exposure compared to other individuals despite uniform exposure conditions on a macro scale. Ion exchanger reduced embryo Zn concentrations to values close to control value with a comparably low standard deviation. Cadmium concentrations in embryos were in the range of 4000 to 7000 μg/g with a median of 5740 μg/g. A commercial ion exchanger reduced individual body burdens by a factor 50 to 100. Individual peak body burdens of up to 3160 μg/g were accompanied by reduced weight of the fish eggs due to early death i.e. coagulation. The investigation of exposure and effects on an individual-based scale may significantly help to reduce uncertainty and inconsistencies occurring in conventional analysis of pooled fish embryo samples.

KW - Element accumulation

KW - Fish embryos

KW - Ion exchange resin

KW - TXRF application

KW - Zebrafish Danio rerio

KW - Engineering

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=59349092346&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.sab.2008.10.015

DO - 10.1016/j.sab.2008.10.015

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:59349092346

VL - 63

SP - 1443

EP - 1449

JO - Spectrochimica Acta - Part B Atomic Spectroscopy

JF - Spectrochimica Acta - Part B Atomic Spectroscopy

SN - 0584-8547

IS - 12

ER -