OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was the assessment of the Svitava and Svratka rivers contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) using 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentrations in fish bile as a biomarker. DESIGN: Levels of 1-OHP were determined by reverse phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. For valid assessment of bile accumulation levels, the 1-OHP concentration was normalized to the biliary protein content. The content of 1-OHP was correlated with the PAH content of river bottom sediments. RESULTS: The highest level of 1-OHP in fish bile (136.1 ng.mg-1 protein) was found at the locality Rajhradice, which is situated downstream of Brno. Also the greatest level of sum of PAHs was found at this locality (17.1 microg.g-1 dry mass). Significant positive correlation (p< or =0.05) between the level of 1-OHP and sum of PAHs in sediment was found only in case of sediments collected in the same month as fish samples (in June). CONCLUSION: Our results document that 1-OHP in fish bile is a suitable biochemical marker for the assessment of aquatic ecosystem contamination by PAHs.

Department of Veterinary Public Health and Toxicology Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Czech Republic

Integrated assessment of PAH contamination in the Czech Rivers using a combination of chemical and biological monitoring

1-Hydroxypyrene--a biochemical marker for PAH pollution assessment of aquatic ecosystem

Can thiol compounds be used as biomarkers of aquatic ecosystem contamination by cadmium?