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Linking organochlorine exposure to biomarker response patterns in Anurans: a case study of Müller’s clawed frog (Xenopus muelleri) from a tropical malaria vector control region

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Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides are highly persistent in aquatic ecosystems. Amphibians, specifically anurans, play an intricate part in the aquatic food web, and have very permeable skin which makes them prone to bioaccumulation of persistent pollutants. In this study the bioaccumulation of various legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)—including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), currently used for malaria vector control (MVC)—was assessed along with a set of biomarker responses in Müller’s clawed frog Xenopus muelleri collected from the lower Phongolo River floodplain in South Africa. Possible relationships between bioaccumulation and biomarkers (of exposure, oxidative stress biomarkers, and cellular energy allocation) alongside their temporal changes were investigated. The OCP concentrations showed a significant increase over time for the duration of the study. The increase correlated negatively with rainfall from the region. DDT levels were well below expected effects levels with p,p-DDE being the main contributing metabolite. The results of this study indicate OCPs actively accumulate at sub-lethal levels in aquatic frogs from the study area, while showing possible relations towards some of the biochemical stress responses measured. Most notable were negative relationships indicated between p,p-DDE and acetylcholinesterase, malondialdehyde, and carbohydrates and protein energy availability. Levels of DDT were not found to be significantly higher than other legacy pesticides in the frog tissue, although evidence of newly introduced DDT in the frog tissue was found. Further investigation about sub-lethal effects of these pesticides on anurans is required to gain better insight into their full impact on animal livelihood.

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Acknowledgements

The Authors of this article would like to acknowledge the contributions made by the following people/entities during the course of this study. Edward Netherlands and Lizaan De Necker (sampling), Claire Edwards and Dr. Ruan Gerber (biomarker analysis), and Ichise Pappy (Chemical analysis). This study was made possible through the financial contributions of the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa (Project K5-12185, N.J. Smit, PI). This contribution 203 from the NWU-Water Research Group.

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  1. Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

    Nico J Wolmarans, Louis H Du Preez, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Nico J Smit & Victor Wepener

  2. South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Somerset Street, Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa

    Louis H Du Preez

  3. Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, N18, W9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Yared Beyene Yohannes, Yoshinori Ikenaka & Mayumi Ishizuka

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  1. Nico J Wolmarans
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Wolmarans, N.J., Du Preez, L.H., Yohannes, Y.B. et al. Linking organochlorine exposure to biomarker response patterns in Anurans: a case study of Müller’s clawed frog (Xenopus muelleri) from a tropical malaria vector control region. Ecotoxicology 27, 1203–1216 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-018-1972-y

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