SUITABILITY OF CARBOXYLATED PORPHYRIN PROFILES AS A BIOCHEMICAL INDICATOR IN WHITEFISH (COREGONUS-CLUPEAFORMIS) EXPOSED TO BLEACHED KRAFT PULP-MILL EFFLUENT

The hepatic carboxylated porphyrin profile was studied in whitefish ex posed to bleached kraft pulp mill effluent (BKME). The distribution of the porphyrins was different between the samples from the BKME and th e reference site, and fish exposed to BKME contained higher amounts of highly carboxylated porphyrins (HCP). The ratios of HCP to protoporph yrin, and coproporphyrin to protoporphyrin, were also significantly di fferent between the two groups. In addition, the cytochrome P-450 acti vity, liversomatic index, and gonadosomatic index were measured and co mpared with the prophyrin profile. The results suggest that BKME could inhibit porphyrinogen decarboxylases, and the porphyrin profile is us eful as a biochemical indicator for identification of BKME exposure. ( C) 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.