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Toxicity of landfill leachate to sea urchin development with a focus on ammonia

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Abstract

Sea urchin gametes and embryos serve as a model system to evaluate toxicity in the marine environment. In this study, the toxicity of complex chemical mixtures in leachate samples to sea urchin development was examined with a focus on ammonia, which was the main contaminant of concern in most samples. Two rapid tests, the submitochondrial particle function and bacterial luminescence tests, were also used. Ammonia is highly toxic to sea urchin embryos with an EC50 of 1.3 mg l−1 for the embryos of the Australian sea urchin Heliocidaris tuberculata. Leachate ammonia levels were well above these EC50 concentrations. To assess the contribution of ammonia to leachate toxicity in sea urchin development, we compared the predicted toxic units (PTU) and observed toxic units (OTU) for ammonia for each sample. The PTU/OTU comparison revealed that the sensitivity of the sea urchin embryos to ammonia were altered (enhanced or decreased) by other chemicals in the leachates. This result emphasises the need for parallel chemical analyses and a suite bioassays for evaluating the toxicity of complex and variable chemical mixtures.

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Abbreviations

NAD:

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

OTU:

observed toxic units

PTU:

predicted toxic units

RET:

reverse electron transport

SDT:

sea urchin development test

SFT:

sea urchin fertilisation test

SMPT:

submitochondrial particle test

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the Olympic Co-ordination Authority and assisted by F. Mazzone, G. Spirakis, P. Selvakumaraswamy, P. Cisternas, N. Soars and J. Simon. Thanks to C. King and G. Birch for advice. Sydney Aquarium provided facilities to maintain urchins. The reviewers are thanked for helpful comments that improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomy and Histology, F13, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Maria Byrne & John K. Pollak

  2. Biomedical Science, Lidcombe Campus, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2141, Australia

    Diana J. Oakes

  3. Sydney Olympic Park Authority, 7 Figtree Dr, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW, 2127, Australia

    Edwina Laginestra

Authors
  1. Maria Byrne
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  2. Diana J. Oakes
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  3. John K. Pollak
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  4. Edwina Laginestra
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Correspondence to Maria Byrne.

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Byrne, M., Oakes, D.J., Pollak, J.K. et al. Toxicity of landfill leachate to sea urchin development with a focus on ammonia. Cell Biol Toxicol 24, 503–512 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10565-008-9099-1

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