BIOMARKERS IN FLOUNDER (PLATICHTHYS-FLESUS) - AN EVALUATION OF THEIR USE IN POLLUTION MONITORING

Flounder (Platichthys flesus) is among the most common fish-species in Norwegian and European estuaries. It lives in or on sediments from wh ich it also finds most of its food. The aim of the present work was to evaluate biomarkers in flounder for possible future use in monitoring programmes. There were clear biomarker responses in flounder followin g injection of model contaminants benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), PCB #156 and Cd, singly or in sequence. Cytochrome P4501A responded following inje ction of the organic contaminants and metallothionein (MT) following C d injection. All groups receiving B[a]P, either singly or in combinati on with other contaminants, accumulated high levels of B[a]P-metabolit es in bile. There was little change in glutathione-S-transferase activ ity (measured using CDNB as substrate) following the treatments. Starv ation appeared to affect the response of hepatic MT to Cd, but none of the other biomarkers. PAH in sediments elicited strong biomarker resp onses in caged flounder, whereas sediment-associated metals appeared t o be largely unavailable to flounder in this study. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.