Uptake and transformation of 14C-labelled tributyltin chloride by the dog-whelk, nucella lapillus: Importance of absorption from the diet

doi:10.1016/0141-1136(89)90237-7

Marine Environmental Research

Volume 28, Issues 1–4, 1989, Pages 241-245

https://doi.org/10.1016/0141-1136(89)90237-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

The importance of the diet as a source of tributyltin (TBT) in Nucella lapillus was studied using [¹⁴C]tributyltin chloride. In N. lapillus provided with prelabelled mussels, Mytilus edulis, in labelled water (mean 20·5 ng/litre TBT) the rate of accumulation of total ¹⁴C was 2–3 times that in unfed animals. Owing to its degradation in the tissues of both fed and unfed animals, concentrations of [¹⁴C]TBT tended to reach a plateau after only 28 days. However, total concentrations of ¹⁴C were still increasing after 49 days. Under experimental conditions (15°C, ample food, no disturbance) the diet accounted for about 50% of the body burden of TBT in N. lapillus after 49 days exposure: concentration factors (dry tissue/water) for [¹⁴C]TBT in both male and female N. lapillus were similar at about 60 000 in fed and 30 000 in unfed animals. It is concluded that the diet may contribute less than half of the body burden of TBT found in natural populations subjected to life-long exposure.

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Modified, optimized method of determination of Tributyltin (TBT) contamination in coastal water, sediment and biota in Sri Lanka
2021, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Citation Excerpt :
No information about TBT contamination in the coastal environment in Sri Lanka is documented to date. The most obvious routes of organotin exposure to biota and consequently to the food chain is through the diet and accumulation from surroundings (Kucuksezgin et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2006; Strand and Jacobsen, 2005; Bryan et al., 1989). However, with the rapid economic progress in Sri Lanka as a developing country, a set of restrictive environment quality standards for chemical pollutants is a timely requirement.
Tributyltin (TBT) is a toxic organotin compound that belongs to the group of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and it is documented to cause severe sexual disorders development in aquatic fauna. According to the present study, The TBT concentration in coastal water ranged from 303 ± 7.4 ngL⁻¹ to 25 ± 4.2 ngL⁻¹ wherein sediment was from 107 ± 4.1 ngKg⁻¹ to 17 ± 1.4 ngKg⁻¹. TBT in Perna viridis was found to range from 4 ± 1.2 ngKg⁻¹ to 42 ± 2.2 ngKg⁻¹ wet weight and in ascending order of the body weight. The highest TBT level in water and sediment was found in the Colombo port where the highest level of TBT in P. viridis (42 ± 2.2 ngKg⁻¹) was recorded from the Dikkowita fishery harbor. A positive correlation between the number of male P. viridis and TBT level (p < 0.05) suggests possible reproductive impairment in aquatic animals exposed continuously to a high concentration of TBT.
Critical analysis of the relationship between imposex and butyltin body burden in Nassarius reticulatus and Nucella lapillus
2018, Environmental Pollution
Imposex is a disorder caused by organotins, mainly tributyltin, which results in the appearance of male sexual characteristics in females of gastropod mollusks. The main objective of this work was to make a critical analysis of the relationship between imposex and butyltin body burdens in Nucella lapillus and Nassarius reticulatus. Specifically, this study evaluates possible additive effects among butyltins, proposes scales of effects based on robust statistical criteria as alternatives to existing ones and defines the body burdens of TBT in N. lapillus and N. reticulatus corresponding to the assessment classes (ACs) of the Vas Deferens Sequence Index (VDSI) established by OSPAR. Data of organotin body burdens and biological effects was retrieved from the ICES Dataset and from scientific literature. All responses, except the percentage of females displaying Imposex (IMPF) in Nucella lapillus, showed a sigmoidal profile regarding to the body burden of mono- (MBT), di- (DBT) and tributyltin and sum of butyltins (SumBTs). TBT and the SumBTs were better indicators of the VDSI or Relative Penis Size Index/Relative Penis Length Index (RPSI/RPLI) responses than MBT or DBT in most cases. From a statistical point of view, RPSI/RPLI and VDSI were better indicators of contamination by TBT than IMPF, although both RPSI and RPLI showed lower sensitivity than VDSI. The model used for describing the joint effect of butyltins provided a statistically significant fitting to the data assuming a null effect for both MBT and DBT for N. lapillus, and a lower toxic contribution of MBT and DBT with respect to TBT for N. reticulatus. RPSI or RPLI values, equivalent to the ACs for VDSI, were proposed as alternative criteria when measuring moderate to high levels of imposex. TBT concentrations in N. reticulatus and N. lapillus tissues, corresponding to the ACs were calculated and provided valuable information for cross-species comparisons.
Extended imposex monitoring in N Atlantic Spain confirms punctual attainment of European environmental objectives for TBT
2018, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Legislation in the European Union (EU) aimed at reaching by 2015 a Good Ecological Status in regard to tributyltin (TBT, the biocide used in traditional antifouling paints). With a view to check such an achievement in N Atlantic Spain, baseline monitoring of gastropod imposex (the recommended assessment tool) was extended up to that date. In Galicia (the Western part of the study area) the use of the rock snail Nucella lapillus since 1996 had shown this environmental objective to be met as soon as 2009, but new surveys reveal no further improvement thereafter. As for the Eastern Cantabrian coast, imposex levels in the mud snail Nassarius reticulatus progressively declined from 2006 to 2015, when records finally complied with expectations. Both data sets are confronted and discussed in relation to the diverse environmental factors that may be determining the distribution of gastropods in these regions.
Bi-species imposex monitoring in Galicia (NW Spain) shows contrasting achievement of the OSPAR Ecological Quality Objective for TBT
2017, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Imposex is decreasing worldwide after the total ban on tributyltin (TBT) from antifouling paints. In order to assess improvement in the NE Atlantic, the OSPAR Convention designed an Ecological Quality Objective (EcoQO) based on the VDSI (vas deferens sequence index, an agreed measure of imposex) in the rock snail Nucella lapillus; wherever this is not available, the mud snail Nassarius reticulatus was proposed as a proxy. We determined VDSI in Galician populations of rock (n ≥ 34) and mud (n ≥ 18) snails at regular intervals from pre-ban times until 2009 and 2011, respectively. While imposex in the former started decreasing in 2006 and by 2009 the EcoQO had been met in the area, VDSI in the latter was not significantly reduced until 2011 and values contradict such an achievement. This suggests that the OSPAR imposex bi-species scheme may not be of direct application in the current post-ban scenario.
Declines in TBT contamination in Irish coastal waters 1987-2011, using the dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) as a biological indicator
2015, Marine Pollution Bulletin
Citation Excerpt :
Spence et al. (1990) noted that at RPSI levels of < 5%, sterile females were absent generally, whilst at RPSI > 40% most, and sometimes all, females were sterile. Bryan et al. (1989) suggested there was a RPSI limit of 20–25% above which the reproduction of the female would be affected. This investigation documents imposex data compiled from 1987 to 2010/2011 and reports on temporal trends at selected locations, establishing the current imposex status around the Irish coast.
Using the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI) and relative penis size index (RPSI) in dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus), imposex levels were assessed at 63 sites within 11 sea inlets during 2010/2011 and compared these with levels gathered since 1987. Sterile females (VDS > 5.0) were found at 14 of the 63 sites and 47 sites (75%) met the EcoQO (VDSI < 2.0). The absence of imposex in ‘control’ areas on the west coast is due to the lack of vessel paint applications or net dips with TBT being used as an active anti-fouling ingredient. A significant decline was observed following 2005 when comparing VDSI levels which is consistent with the decline of TBT usage. Current levels are consistent with an overall improvement towards achieving Good Environmental Status according to the requirements under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Tributyltin pollution biomonitoring under the Water Framework Directive: Proposal of a multi-species tool to assess the ecological quality status of EU water bodies
2015, Ecological Indicators
Citation Excerpt :
Possible changes may be due to differences in TBT bioavailability in several environmental compartments. For instance, while the dog-whelk seems to accumulate TBT mostly from water, with an estimated interference of less than 50% from its feeding habits (Bryan et al., 1989), other TBT exposure routes seem to be more relevant on the netted-whelk, with food uptake accounting for more than 50% of TBT body burden (Stroben et al., 1992a,b) and with contamination also possibly arising from the direct contact with TBT in interstitial water, subjected to adsorption/desorption processes from the sediments. As a result, different TBT accumulation may eventually occur between pre- and post-ban periods producing biased intercalibrations of VDSI/ISI.
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a key legislative action developed by the European Union in order to protect aquatic ecosystems. One of the concerning pollutants, listed in this directive as a priority hazardous substance, is tributyltin (TBT), a biocide largely used in antifouling paints and identified as a causative agent of imposex/intersex in gastropods. In order to integrate TBT pollution monitoring within this legislative framework, a practical exercise is here proposed to assess the evolution of surface water ecological status in Ria de Aveiro (NW Portugal). Three bioindicators – the caenogastropods Nucella lapillus, Nassarius reticulatus and Littorina littorea – were used under the general WFD benthic invertebrate quality element, and the vas deferens sequence index (VDSI) and the intersex index (ISI) were selected as biomarkers for the purpose of assessing the condition of this quality element regarding the impact of TBT pollution. Levels of VDSI in N. lapillus and N. reticulatus, and ISI in L. littorea, were surveyed in 2013 and compared with previous data available for the same species and study area in 1998 and 2005, providing a time lapse for a period of 15 years. VDSI and ISI values were converted into Ecological Quality Ratios (EQR) and EQR boundaries were set for each species in order to define the five ecological status classes (High, Good, Moderate, Poor and Bad). We propose N. lapillus as key bioindicator, however the combined use of further species is very useful to cover a wider study area. Based on the proposed method, it is concluded that the ecological status of the surface waters surveyed in Ria de Aveiro, concerning the impact of TBT pollution on the above benthic invertebrate taxa, improved considerably since 1998 and achieved a Good Ecological Status in 2013, thus meeting the WFD environmental objectives for this priority hazardous substance even before 2015.

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Section 3: Mechanisms of toxicity and cell injuryUptake and transformation of 14C-labelled tributyltin chloride by the dog-whelk, nucella lapillus: Importance of absorption from the diet

Abstract

J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol.

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

Section 3: Mechanisms of toxicity and cell injury
Uptake and transformation of ¹⁴C-labelled tributyltin chloride by the dog-whelk, nucella lapillus: Importance of absorption from the diet