Understanding pharmaceutical exposure and the potential for effects in marine biota: A survey of bonefish (Albula vulpes) across the Caribbean Basin

Understanding pharmaceutical exposure and the potential for effects in marine biota: A survey of bonefish (Albula vulpes) across the Caribbean Basin

Most research on pharmaceutical presence in the environment to date has focused on smaller scale assessments of freshwater and riverine systems, relying mainly on assays of water samples, while studies in marine ecosystems and of exposed biota are sparse. This study investigated the pharmaceutical b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 349; p. 140949
Main Authors: Castillo, N.A., James, W.R., Santos, R.O., Rezek, R., Cerveny, D., Boucek, R.E., Adams, A.J., Goldberg, T., Campbell, L., Perez, A.U., Schmitter-Soto, J.J., Lewis, J.P., Fick, J., Brodin, T., Rehage, J.S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2024
Subjects:
Aquatic contamination
Bonefish
Coastal environments
Marine environments
Pharmaceutical
Therapeutic concentrations
Bonefish
Marine environments
Pharmaceutical
Therapeutic concentrations
Aquatic contamination
Coastal environments
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Summary:Most research on pharmaceutical presence in the environment to date has focused on smaller scale assessments of freshwater and riverine systems, relying mainly on assays of water samples, while studies in marine ecosystems and of exposed biota are sparse. This study investigated the pharmaceutical burden in bonefish (Albula vulpes), an important recreational and artisanal fishery, to quantify pharmaceutical exposure throughout the Caribbean Basin. We sampled 74 bonefish from five regions, and analyzed them for 102 pharmaceuticals. We assessed the influence of sampling region on the number of pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical assemblage, and risk of pharmacological effects. To evaluate the risk of pharmacological effects at the scale of the individual, we proposed a metric based on the human therapeutic plasma concentration (HTPC), comparing measured concentrations to a threshold of 1/3 the HTPC for each pharmaceutical. Every bonefish had at least one pharmaceutical, with an average of 4.9 and a maximum of 16 pharmaceuticals in one individual. At least one pharmaceutical was detected in exceedance of the 1/3 HTPC threshold in 39% of bonefish, with an average of 0.6 and a maximum of 11 pharmaceuticals exceeding in a Key West individual. The number of pharmaceuticals (49 detected in total) differed across regions, but the risk of pharmacological effects did not (23 pharmaceuticals exceeded the 1/3 HTPC threshold). The most common pharmaceuticals were venlafaxine (43 bonefish), atenolol (36), naloxone (27), codeine (27), and trimethoprim (24). Findings suggest that pharmaceutical detections and concentration may be independent, emphasizing the need to monitor risk to biota regardless of exposure diversity, and to focus on risk quantified at the individual level. This study supports the widespread presence of pharmaceuticals in marine systems and shows the utility of applying the HTPC to assess the potential for pharmacological effects, and thus quantify impact of exposure at large spatial scales. [Display omitted] •Pharmaceuticals were detected in all fish from Caribbean coastal ecosystems.•49 of 102 pharmaceuticals detected and 23 exceeded the 1/3 HTPC.•39% of fish had pharmaceuticals at concentrations capable of pharmacological effects.•Number of detections and pharmaceutical concentrations varied across regions.•Exposure to pharmacologically active concentrations was unrelated to detections.
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content type line 23
ISSN:0045-6535
1879-1298
1879-1298
DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140949