COMPARATIVE TOXICITY OF COREXIT® 9500, OIL, AND A COREXIT®/OIL MIXTURE ON THE EASTERN OYSTER, CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA (Gmelin)

Publication date: Available online 20 July 2018Source: Aquatic ToxicologyAuthor(s): Lindsay Jasperse, Milton Levin, Katherine Tsantiris, Roxanna Smolowitz, Christopher Perkins, J. Evan Ward, Sylvain De GuiseAbstractGiven their particle feeding behavior, sessile behavior, and abundance in coastal zones, bivalves are at significant risk for exposure to oil and oil dispersant following environmental disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. However, the effects of oil combined with oil dispersants on the health of oysters are not well studied. Therefore, eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were exposed in vivo to Corexit® 9500, crude oil (high-energy water accommodated fraction; HEWAF), and a Corexit/oil mixture (chemically-enhanced water accommodated fraction; CEWAF) to evaluate potential toxic effects on immunological (phagocytosis and respiratory burst), physiological (feeding rate), and histological endpoints. Phagocytosis was significantly increased following CEWAF exposure only. Respiratory burst was significantly decreased following Corexit® exposure, but significantly increased following exposure to the highest concentration of CEWAF. Oyster feeding rates were significantly decreased following exposure to Corexit®, HEWAF, and CEWAF, and were most sensitive to CEWAF exposure. These modulations of important immunological and physiological functions could result in serious health outcomes for oysters, such as increased parasitism and decreased growth. Our exper...
Source: Aquatic Toxicology - Category: Toxicology Source Type: research