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The project VALIMAR (VALIdation of bioMARkers for the assessment of small stream pollution): objectives, experimental design, summary of results, and recommendations for the application of biomarkers in risk assessment

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Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery

Abstract

Between 1995 and 1999, active and passivebiomonitoring experiments in two small streams,and tests with pollutant mixtures in thelaboratory were performed with brown trout(Salmo trutta f. fario) and stone loach(Barbatula barbatula) in order toevaluate the suitability of biomarkersrepresenting different levels of biologicalorganization for the assessment of pollution insmall streams. The following groups ofbiomarker responses were measured in bothspecies: (1) induction of stress proteins(hsp70) in fish liver, (2) alterations in theactivities of 13 metabolic enzymes and ofacetylcholine esterase in liver or brain in vivo as well as in cultured fish cells, (3)changes in phase I and II biotransformationenzyme activities in liver, (4) responses ofblood parameters, (5) histopathologicalalterations in liver, kidney, gills, andspleen, and (6) ultrastructural effects in theliver, gills, and kidney of individuals, aswell as in fish cell cultures. To supplementthese biomarker studies, (7) behavioral changesof fish and (8) impacts on embryo developmentwere also investigated. In parallel, the teststreams were characterized morphometrically,limnologically and analytically for five years.Furthermore, during the second-half of thisproject, ecological studies characterizingbrown trout and stone loach populationdemography and the fish, macro- andmeiozoobenthos communities in the two teststreams were also included. The present papersummarizes the aims and scopes and the generalresults of this project and provides a detaileddescription of the experimental designs whichare the basis of all related studies reportedin this issue. Recommendations are alsoprovided for the application of biomarkers inrisk assessment of small stream pollution.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Heinz-R. Köhler

    Present address: Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

  2. Axel Oberemm

    Present address: Department Assessment of Chemicals, Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV), P.O. Box 330013, D-14191, Berlin, Germany

  3. Julia Schwaiger

    Present address: Department Aquatic Ecology Research, Bavarian Water Management Agency, Demollstrasse 31, D-82407, Wielenbach, Germany

  4. Helmut Segner

    Present address: Center for Fish and Wildlife Health, Department of Animal Pathology, University of Berne, Laenggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012, Berne, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Physiological Ecology, University of Tübingen, Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 20, D-72072, Tübingen

    Rita Triebskorn & Heinz-R. Köhler

  2. Germany; Steinbeis-Transfer Center for Ecotoxicology and Ecophysiology, Kreuzlingerstrasse 1, D-72108, Rottenburg, Germany

    Rita Triebskorn

  3. Institute of Zoology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrassee 30, D-70593, Stuttgart, Germany

    Jürgen Böhmer

  4. Department of Zoology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Thomas Braunbeck

  5. Steinbeis-Transfer Center for Applied and Environmental Chemistry, Alteburgstrasse 150, D-72762, Reutlingen, Germany

    Wolfgang Honnen

  6. Geo-Ökologie-Consulting, Wankstraß:e 7, D-82362, Weilheim, Germany

    Reinhold Lehmann

  7. Institute for Freshwater Biology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, D-12587, Berlin, Germany;

    Axel Oberemm

  8. Laboratory for Fish Pathology, Steinseestrasse 32, D-81671, Munich, Germany;

    Julia Schwaiger

  9. Department of Chemical Ecotoxicology, UFZ Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Permoserstrasse15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany;

    Helmut Segner & Gerrit Schüürmann

  10. Animal Ecology, University of Bielefeld, Morgenbreede 45, D-33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    Walter Traunspurger

Authors
  1. Rita Triebskorn
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Triebskorn, R., Böhmer, J., Braunbeck, T. et al. The project VALIMAR (VALIdation of bioMARkers for the assessment of small stream pollution): objectives, experimental design, summary of results, and recommendations for the application of biomarkers in risk assessment. Journal of Aquatic Ecosystem Stress and Recovery 8, 161–178 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012902209178

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