Biomarkers Currently Used in Environmental Monitoring - Ecological Biomarkers: Indicators of Ecotoxicological Effects - page 388

TABLE 15.1
Current Status of Biomarker Quality Assurance

Biomarkers Quality Assurance

PAH metabolites QUASIMEME

Cytochrome P4501A activity (EROD) BEQUALM, MEDPOL

Vitellogenin WGBEC

Acetylcholinesterase WGBEC

Comet assay WGBEC

Micronucleus formation MEDPOL

DNA adducts BEQUALM

Metallothionein BEQUALM (fish) MEDPOL (mussels)

Lysosomal stability (Cytochemical and
Neutral Red)

MEDPOL (mussels)

Liver histopathology BEQUALM

Macroscopic liver neoplasms BEQUALM

Imposex/Intersex in gastropods QUASIMEME

Externally visible fish diseases BEQUALM

Reproductive success in eelpout BEQUALM

Source: ICES 2010, 2011.
Note: BEQUALM, Biological Effects Quality Assurance in Monitoring Programmes;
MEDPOL, Mediterranean Action Plan for the Barcelona Convention; QUASIMEME,
Quality Assurance of Information for Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe;
WGBEC, Working Group of Biological Effect of Contaminants (ICES).

Thus, in the OSPAR 2007 document on Biological Effects Monitoring Techniques
(OSPAR Commission 2007), the following biomarkers are recognized—hepatic metallo-
thionein in fish, δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in fish blood (for lead exposure),
ethoxyresorufin O -deethylase (EROD) in fish liver, lysosomal stability, polycyclic aro-
matic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in fish bile, and externally visible diseases and
liver pathology in fish. Baseline values for the first five of these have been determined
from reference sites. In the JAMP Guidelines for Contaminant-specific Biological Effects
(OSPAR Agreement 2008-2009), further biomarkers are included, such as those relevant
to (1) oxidative stress, (2) genotoxicity (DNA adducts), and (3) endocrine effects including
imposex (TBT) and intersex, and estrogen-specific effects including plasma vitellogenin
concentrations. Furthermore, these 2008-2009 JAMP guidelines separate out biologi-
cal effects monitoring techniques that are specific, in turn, to metals, PAHs, TBT, and
estrogens. Consideration of biomarkers is also strongly emphasized in the CEMP assess-
ment report 2008-2009: assessment of trends and concentrations of selected hazardous
substances in sediments and biota, with detailed distributional data, for example, on
TBT-induced imposex in coastal gastropod mollusks and on EROD activities in livers
of several fish including cod Gadus morhua , flounder Platichthys flesus, , and dab Limanda
limanda .
ICES advice to OSPAR on integrated monitoring and assessment of chemicals and biolog-
ical effects in June 2011 (ICES 2011) recommends that groups of biological effects methods
be deployed to address specific questions. Biomarkers figure strongly, including intersex
(ovotestis) measurement in marine and estuarine fish; acetylcholinesterase activities to