Assessment of lead ecotoxicity in water using the amphibian larvae (Xenopus laevis) and preliminary study of its immobioization in meat and bone meal combustion residues

Florence Mouchet (1) , S. Cren (1) , C. Cunienq (1) , Éric Deydier (2) , Richard Guilet (3) , Laury Gauthier (1)

1 LEH - Laboratoire d'écologie des hydrosystèmes
2 LCIS - Laboratoire de Chimie Inorganique et Santé
3 LGC - Laboratoire de Génie Chimique

Lead (Pb) is a major chemical pollutant of the environment. It has been associated with human activities for the last 6000 years. Quite rightly, it remains a public health concern today. The present investigation evaluates the toxic potential of Pb in larvae of the toad Xenopus laevis after 12 days exposure in lab conditions. Acute toxicity, genotoxicity and Pb bioaccumulation were analyzed. The genotoxic effects were analyzed in the circulating blood from the levels of micronucleus induction according to the French standard micronucleus assay (AFNOR 2000 Association française de normalization. Norme NFT 90-325. Qualité de l’Eau. Evaluation de la génotoxicité au moyen de larves d’amphibien (Xenopus laevis, Pleurodeles waltl)). Lead bioaccumulation was analyzed in the liver of larvae at the end of exposure. Moreover, the toxic potential of lead, in aquatic media, was investigated in the presence of meat and bone meal combustion residues (MBMCR) known to be rich in phosphates and a potential immobiliser of lead. Previously, acute toxicity and genotoxicity of MBMCR alone were evaluated using Xenopus larvae. The results obtained in the present study demonstrated: (i) that lead is acutely toxic and genotoxic to amphibian larvae from 1 mg Pb/l and its bioaccumulation is significant in the liver of larvae from the lowest concentration of exposure (1 μg Pb/l), (ii) MBMCR were not acutely toxic nor genotoxic in Xenopus larvae, (iii) lead in presence of MBMCR induced inhibition or reduction of the toxic and genotoxic potential of lead in water at concentrations that do not exceed the capacity of MBMCR of Pb-binding (iv) Pb accumulation in larvae exposed to lead with MBMCR in water was lower than Pb-accumulation in larvae exposed to lead alone except at the concentration of 0.01 mg Pb/l suggesting complex mechanisms of MBMCR interaction in organisms. The results confirm the high toxicity and genotoxicity of lead in the aquatic compartment and suggest the potential utility of MBMCR for use in remediation.

Mots clés: lead; meat and bone meal combustion residues; amphibian; toxicity; genotoxicity; bioaccumulation

Domaines: Chimie

Florence Mouchet, S. Cren, C. Cunienq, Éric Deydier, Richard Guilet, et al.. Assessment of lead ecotoxicity in water using the amphibian larvae (Xenopus laevis) and preliminary study of its immobioization in meat and bone meal combustion residues. BioMetals, 2006, 20, pp.113-127. ⟨10.1007/s10534-006-9019-x⟩. ⟨hal-00167244⟩