Abstract
Conjugated resin acids (RAs) in fish bile are considered a sensitive chemical indicator of exposure to pulp and paper mill effluent, and were used in this study to monitor the post-spill situation of a lake area (Southern Lake Saimaa) contaminated by black liquor discharged from a mill in June 2003. From the exposure perspective of populations of wild roach and perch, which were studied for their bile RAs at four time periods (July 2003, September 2003, May 2004, July 2004), the exceptional event passed in 2 months or less. Perch had lower concentration of RAs in bile than roach in all sampling areas and all times. Besides the current emissions present in the water column, part of the exposure status of the roach population to RAs seemed to derive from historically contaminated sediments. In order to test this hypothesis, a laboratory experiment with perch and roach, along with three teleosts (rainbow trout, brown trout and whitefish), was conducted. The species were simultaneously exposed for 7 days to RAs (23 µg/l). We calculated a perch/roach-ratio to investigate the difference in origin of exposure between perch and roach populations in the wild and in the laboratory. One year after the spill, the perch/roach-ratio of bile RAs was 0.25 (CV 25%) at 1 km from the mill. This is in contrast to that found under the sole waterborne conditions (0.44; CV 24%), supporting the idea that sediments serve as an additional source of RAs in roach. Additionally, bioconcentration factor log BCFbile(RA) was calculated to assess hepatobiliary performance and the capacity to excrete RAs in fish.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Brumley, C. M., Haritos, V. S., Ahokas, J. T., & Holdway, D. A. (1998). The effects of exposure duration and feeding status on fish bile metabolites: Implications for biomonitoring. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 39, 147–153.
Environment Canada. (1998). Summary of spill events in Canada, 1984–1995: Environment Canada Publication EPS 5/SP/3. 81 p.
Ettala, M., & Rossi, E. (1992). Metsäteollisuuden satunnaispäästöt vesistöihin (Accidental releases into watercourses in the pulp and paper industry, original in Finnish). Vesitalous, 33, 10–13.
Finnish Forest Industries Federation. (2005). Environmental report 2005. Finnish Forest Industries Federation. Retrieved January 10, 2007, from http://www.forestindustries.fi/files/julkaisut/pdf/Ymparisto2005_en.pdf.
Förlin, L., & Wachtmeister, C. A. (1989). Fish bile analysis for monitoring of low concentration of polar xenobiotics in water. In L. Landner (Ed.) Chemicals in the aquatic environment. Springer: Berling, Germany.
Hodson, P., Maj, M. K., Efler, S., Burnison, B. K., van Heiningen, A. R. P., Girard, R., & Carey, J. H. (1997). MFO induction in fish by spent cooking liquors from kraft pulp mills. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 16, 908–916.
Holbom, B., Hemming, J., & Mäki-Arvela, J. (1992). Environmental fate of effluent components from the Kaukas pulp and paper mill in South Saimaa Lake system 1992. In P. Hakamies (Ed.) Saimaa-Seminar 1992 (pp. 39–52). Finland: University of Joensuu.
Horppila, J., Ruuhijarvi, J., Rask, M., Karppinen, C., Nyeberg, K., & Olin, M. (2000). Seasonal changes in the diets and relative abundances of perch and roach in the littoral and pelagic zones of a large lake. J. Fish Biol. 56, 51–72.
Jobling, S., Coey, S., Whitmore, J. G., Kime, D. E., Van Look, K. J. W., McAllister, B. G., Beresford, N., Henshaw, A. C., Brighty, G., Tyler, C. R., & Sumpter, J. P. (2002). Wild intersex roach (Rutilis rutilis) have reduced fertility. Biology of Reproduction, 67, 515–524.
Johnsen, K., Mattsson, K., Tana, J., Stuthridge, T. R., Hemming, J., & Lehtinen, K. J. (1995). Uptake and elimination of RAs and physiological responses in rainbow trout exposed to total mill effluent from an integrated newsprint mill. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 14, 1561–1568.
Karels, A., Markkula, E., & Oikari, A. (2001). Reproductive responses, bile metabolites and liver EROD activity in prespawning perch and roach exposed to pulp and paper mill effluents. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 20, 1517–1527.
Karels, A., & Niemi, A. (2002). Fish community responses to pulp and paper mill effluents at the southern Lake Saimaa, Finland. Environmental Pollution, 116, 309–317.
Karels, A., & Oikari, A. (2000). Effect of pulp and paper mill effluents on the reproductive and physiological status of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and roach (Rutilus rutilus L.) during the spawning period. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 37, 65–77.
Kobayashi, K. (1979). Metabolism of pentachlorophenol in fish. In: M. A. Q. Khan, J. J. Lech, & J. J. Menn (Eds.), Pesticide and xenobiotic metabolism in aquatic organisms. (ACS No 99, pp 131–143). Washington DC, USA.
Koli, L. (1998). Suomen kalat. Porvoo, Finland: WSOY.
Korjonen-Kuusipuro, K., Laine, P., & Michelsen, K. (2004). Case Kaukas (In Finnish). Lappeenranta, Finland: South Karelian Institute, Lappeenranta University of Technology.
Lahdelma, I., & Oikari, A. (2005). Resin acids and retene in sediments adjacent to pulp and paper industries. J. Soils. Sediments. 2, 74–81.
Lahti, M. (2006). Exposure of fish to xenobiotics in the sediments pulp and paper mill effluents. MSc Thesis, University of Jyväskylä, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Jyväskylä.
Leppänen, H., Marttinen, S., & Oikari, A. (1998). The use of fish bile metabolite analyses as exposure biomarkers to pulp and paper mill effluents. Chemosphere, 36, 2621–2634.
Leppänen, H., & Oikari, A. (1999). Occurrence of retene and resin acids in sediments and fish bile from a lake receiving pulp and paper mill effluents. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 18, 1498–1505.
Lindesjöö, E., Adolfsson-Erici, M., Ericson, G., & Forlin, L. (2002). Biomarker responses and resin acids in fish chronically exposed to effluents from a total chlorine-free pulp mill during regular production. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 53, 238–247.
Meriläinen, P. S., Krasnov, A., Oikari, A. (2007). Time- and concentration-dependent metabolic and genomic responses to exposure to resin acids in brown trout (Salmo trutta m. lacustris). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. (accepted).
Morales, A., Birkholz, D. A., & Hrudey, S. E. (1992). Analysis of pulp mill effluent contaminants in water, sediment and fish bile—Fatty and resin acids. Water Environment Research, 64, 660–668.
Oikari, A. O. J. (1986). Metabolites of xenobiotics in the bile of fish in waterways polluted by pulp mill effluents. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 36, 429–436.
Oikari, A., Ånäs, E., Kruzynski, G., & Holmbom, B. (1984). Free and conjugated resin acids in the bile of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 33, 233–240.
Peng, G., & Roberts, J. C. (2000). Solubility and toxicity of resin acids. Water research, 34, 2779–2785.
Rask, M. (1986). The diet and diel feeding activity of perch, Perca fluviatilis L., in a small lake in southern Finland. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 23, 49–56.
Rask, M. (1989). A note on the diet of roach, Rutilus rutilus L., and other cyprinids at Tvärminne, northern Baltic Sea. Aqua Fennica, 19, 19–27.
Sarlin, T., Halttunen, S., Vuoriranta, P., & Puhakka, J. (1999). Effects of chemical spills on activated sludge treatment performance in pulp and paper mills. Water Science and Technology, 40, 319–326.
Seppälä, J. (1986) Application of a water quality-transport model on the eastern part of Lake Pien-Saimaa. Master’s thesis, Helsinki University of Technology.
Sjöström, E. (1993). Wood chemistry—Fundamentals and application (2nd ed.). New York: Academic.
Soimasuo, M. R., Lappivaara, J., & Oikari, A. O. J. (1998). Confirmation of in situ exposure of fish to secondary treated bleached-kraft mill effluent using a laboratory simulation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 17, 1371–1379.
Soimasuo, R., Ristola, T., Kukkonen, J., Jokinen, I., & Oikari, A. (1995). Biomarker responses along a pollution gradient: Effects of pulp and paper mill effluents on fish studied by caging technique. Aquatic Toxicology, 1, 29–345..
Statham, C. N., Melancon Jr., M. J., & Lech, J. J. (1976). Bioconcentration of xenobiotics in trout bile: A proposed monitoring aid for some waterborne chemicals. Science, 20, 680–680.
Tavendale, M. H., Hannus, I. M., Wilkins, A. L., Langdon, A. G., Mackie, K. L., & McFarlane, P. N. (1996). Bile analyses of goldfish (Crassius auratus) resident in a New Zealand hydrolake receiving a bleached kraft mill discharge. Chemosphere, 33, 2273–2289.
Tyler, C. R., Spary, C., Gibson, R., Shears, J., Santos, E., & Hill, E. M. (2005). Accounting for differences in the vitellogenic responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and roach (Rutilus rutilus: Cyprinidae) exposed to oestrogenic effluents from wastewater treatment works. Environmental Science & Technology, 39, 2599–2607.
USEPA (2002). Profile of the Pulp and Paper Industry, 2nd Edition. EPA Office of Compliance Sector Notebook Project, EPA/310-R-02-002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA. p 124.
van den Heuvel, M. R., Ellis, R. J., Tremblay, L. A., & Stuthridge, T. R. (2002). Exposure of reproductively maturing rainbow trout to a New Zealand pulp and paper mill effluent. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 51, 65–75.
Verta, M., Ahtiainen, J., Nakari, T., Langi, A., & Talka, E. (1996). The effect of waster constituents on the toxicity of TCF and ECF pulp bleaching effluents. In M. R. Servos, K. R. Munkittrick, J. H. Carey, & G. J. Van Der Kraak (Eds.)Environmental fate and effects of pulp and paper mill effluents. Delray Beach, FL: St Lucie.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meriläinen, P., Oikari, A. Exposure assessment of fishes to a modern pulp and paper mill effluents after a black liquor spill. Environ Monit Assess 144, 419–435 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-0004-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-0004-9