MEPS 279:117-128 (2004)  -  doi:10.3354/meps279117

ABSTRACT: The kinetic behaviour of a highly toxic PCB congener (IUPAC 77) was investigated in the sea star Asterias rubens (Linnaeus, 1758) experimentally exposed via sea water, sediments or food. Simultaneously, biological effects were assessed at the immune and subcellular levels, respectively, by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cytochrome P450 immunopositive protein (CYP1A-IPP) expression. The results indicate that sea stars efficiently accumulate the contaminant and that most organs bioconcentrate the congener according to saturation kinetics. In contrast to what has been shown previously for the non-coplanar PCB Congener 153, biological effects induced during exposure to PCB 77 were pronounced, and affected essential functions of the sea star biology (viz. immune and cytochrome P450 systems). These findings stress the need to (1) obtain further information about similar congener-specific biological effects in this species and in other organisms in the natural environment, and (2) include, when possible, coplanar PCBs in the list of congeners to be measured in marine pollutant biomonitoring programmes.

KEY WORDS: Polychlorinated biphenyls · PCB 77 · Bioaccumulation · Asterias rubens · Echinoderm · CYP1A-IPP · Reactive oxygen species · Immune system