Biomonitoring POPs Using Fish Bile
A new method for the simultaneous determination of emerging and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish bile samples has been developed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).
Photo Credit: Nick Free/Getty Images
A new method for the simultaneous determination of emerging and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish bile samples has been developed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).1
POPs can persist for long periods of time in the environment and can accumulate and pass from one species to the next through the food chain. In the current study the target compounds included musk fragrances, alkyl phenols, hormones, pesticides, phthalate esters, and bisphenol-A, which are known to have an endocrine disrupting effect. Lead author of the study, Asier Vallejo, explained to The Column: “Endocrine disrupting compounds may cause different alterations in fish population such as feminization, intersex, decreased fertility and fecundity, and developmental abnormalities.”
Thicklip grey mullets (Chelon labrosus) from five different populations of the Basque Coast (Ondarroa, Deba, Gernika, Santurtzi, and Pasaia) were selected as the study subjects. Bile samples from the fish were analyzed using GC–MS. Good recoveries (75–125%), repeatability (<20%), and limits of detection (LODs) ranging between 0.04 and 459 ng/mL were obtained. The target analytes were found at concentrations ranging from <LOD to 19,226 ng/mL. Bioconcentration factors (log BCF) were found to be 2.42–5.55. Vallejo commented: “As we expected, the highest BCF values and most contaminated site is the sampling point located near the WWTP of Gernika. It is worth mentioning that the BCF values are higher in males than intersex and in intersex than female organisms. Although Gernika is the most contaminated point, we also detected intersex fish in Pasaia and Deba.”
The team concluded that fish bile is suitable for biomonitoring purposes. The study results could indicate a relationship between the analyte concentration in the water samples with the number of intersex fish, as in the
case of Gernika, but no clear relation was observed between the intersex condition and the analytes in the
fish bile. “We are looking for where exactly these compounds are accumulated (brain, muscles, liver, or bile)
in order to determine the BCF values. We would [also] like to correlate these values with the
amount of intersex fish,” Vallejo added. - K.M.
Reference
1. Asier Vallejo et al., Science of the Total Environment536, 261–267 (2015).
2024 EAS Awardees Showcase Innovative Research in Analytical Science
November 20th 2024Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and other leading institutions took the stage at the Eastern Analytical Symposium to accept awards and share insights into their research.
Inside the Laboratory: The Richardson Group at the University of South Carolina
November 20th 2024In this edition of “Inside the Laboratory,” Susan Richardson of the University of South Carolina discusses her laboratory’s work with using electron ionization and chemical ionization with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to detect DBPs in complex environmental matrices, and how her work advances environmental analysis.
AI and GenAI Applications to Help Optimize Purification and Yield of Antibodies From Plasma
October 31st 2024Deriving antibodies from plasma products involves several steps, typically starting from the collection of plasma and ending with the purification of the desired antibodies. These are: plasma collection; plasma pooling; fractionation; antibody purification; concentration and formulation; quality control; and packaging and storage. This process results in a purified antibody product that can be used for therapeutic purposes, diagnostic tests, or research. Each step is critical to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the final product. Applications of AI/GenAI in many of these steps can significantly help in the optimization of purification and yield of the desired antibodies. Some specific use-cases are: selecting and optimizing plasma units for optimized plasma pooling; GenAI solution for enterprise search on internal knowledge portal; analysing and optimizing production batch profitability, inventory, yields; monitoring production batch key performance indicators for outlier identification; monitoring production equipment to predict maintenance events; and reducing quality control laboratory testing turnaround time.
Infographic: Be confidently audit ready, at any time and reduce failures in pharma QC testing
November 20th 2024Discover how you can simplify the audit preparation process with data integrity dashboards that provide transparency to key actions, and seamlessly track long-term trends and patterns, helping to prevent system suitability failures before they occur with waters_connect Data Intelligence software.
Critical Role of Oligonucleotides in Drug Development Highlighted at EAS Session
November 19th 2024A Monday session at the Eastern Analytical Symposium, sponsored by the Chinese American Chromatography Association, explored key challenges and solutions for achieving more sensitive oligonucleotide analysis.
