Applications of Multiple Biomarkers for Determination of Organic Contaminant Effects on Marine Organisms

Abstract

There are no bio-criteria in any of marine environmental quality criteria and guidelines in Korea. Most of marine environmental monitoring studies in Korea have been done with only chemical analysis for the past decade. From the mid-1990s, effect based monitoring studies were launched in Korea. Several biomarkers and bioassays were accompanying with chemical analysis to monitor extent of contamination and effects of organic pollutants. Organic pollutants (PCBs, PAHs, organochlorine pesticides, organotins, alkylphenols, phthalate esters and etc.) were analyzed depending on the monitoring purposes and the study areas. Various kinds of bioassays, including four cytotoxicity tests (esterase activity, lysosomal membrane stability, double strand DNA content and cell membrane micro-viscosity), induction and inhibition of enzyme activity (EROD), sea urchin sperm, egg, and embryo toxicity, E-screen assay with yeast transformants and imposex in marine snail, were also applied depending on the monitoring purposes and the study areas as exposure and effect biomarkers in the field study.Although the causality of effects on marine organisms were not clearly revealed in all the field studies, the measurable amount of certain effects in several bioassays indicate that organic toxicants in the coastal environment of Korea probably cause adverse effects on the marine organisms. However, more finely designed toxicity identification and evaluation (TIE) approach is required to confirm major stressors and to manage marine pollutions in the study areas.