Title

Monitoring the Biological Effects of Contamination in the Severn Estuary

David J BirdUniversity of the West of England, Bristol

Severn Estuary

The Severn Estuary & Bristol Channel

One of the four largest estuaries in the UK

Second highest tidal range in the world

Internationally important for wading birds

Most significant estuary in the UK for elvers

Migratory corridor for endangered and vulnerable species of migratory fish

River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis)

Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

Twaite shad (Alosa fallax)

Allis shad (Alosa alosa)

Swansea

Port Talbot

Avonmouth

BristolCardiff

OLDBURY

HINKLEY

Nash PointBedwin Sands

PeterstoneFlats

Sharpness Docks

National MonitoringProgramme sites

BRISTOLCHANNEL

SEVERNESTUARY

Monitoring fish abundance from power station water-intake screens

Common name 1972/1977 1996/1998 Difference

Rank Mean % Rank Mean %

Sand goby 1 8572 29.2 1 36129 37.7 +4.2Whiting 2 8294 28.2 3 17714 18.5 +2.1Flounder 3 2896 9.9 7 1899 2.0 -1.5Bass 4 2156 7.3 2 22585 23.6 +10.5Sea snail 5 1980 6.7 8 1466 1.5 -1.4Poor cod 6 846 2.9 17 35 <0.1 -24.2Thin-lipped grey mullet 7 779 2.7 6 2477 2.6 +3.2Twaite shad 8 776 2.6 11 729 0.8 -1.1Eel 9 737 2.5 10 949 1.0 +1.3Herring 10 574 2.0 9 1444 1.5 +2.5Sprat 11 360 1.2 4 5402 5.6 +15.03-spined stickleback 12 254 0.9 14 178 0.2 -1.4River lamprey 13 191 0.7 16 109 0.1 -1.8Bib 14 182 0.6 13 184 0.2 +1.0Common goby 15 149 0.5 15 159 0.2 +1.1Norway pout 20 48 0.2 5 2944 3.1 +61.3Dover sole 17 75 0.3 12 345 0.4 +4.6Total (all species) 29366 95828

Metabolism

Excretion

Bioaccumulation

General bodysurface

Respiratorysurfaces

Ingestion

FateRoutes

of uptake

Watercolumn

Sediment

Food

Sources ofcontamination

Common eelAnguilla anguilla

FlounderPleuronectes flesus

RagwormHediste diversicolor

Brown shrimpCrangon crangon

Baltic tellinMacoma balthica

BRISTOLCHANNEL

SEVERNESTUARY

CdCdSwansea

Port Talbot

Avonmouth

BristolCardiff

1-10kg

10-100kg

>100kg

Swansea

Port Talbot

Avonmouth

BristolCardiff

BRISTOLCHANNEL

SEVERNESTUARY

0-100kg

100-1000kg

>1000kg

CuCu

BRISTOLCHANNEL

SEVERNESTUARY

Swansea

Port Talbot

Avonmouth

BristolCardiff

0-2 tonnes

2-4 tonnes

>4 tonnes

ZnZn

Tissue damage& toxicity

Bioaccumulation Induction of

metal-binding proteins

Exposure tometal

contamination

Biological effects of metals

Tissue damage& toxicity

Induction ofmetal-binding

proteinsBioaccumulation

Exposure tometal

contamination

Biological effects of metals

Oldbury

0

250

500

750

1000M

etal

loth

ion

ein

g

/g w

et w

t

0+ 1+ 2+ 3+ 4++

Year class

0

5

10

15

Cad

miu

m

g/g

dry

wt

0+ 1+ 2+ 3+ 4++

Year class

0

100

200

300

Zin

c

g/g

dry

wt

0

50

100

150

200

Co

pp

er

g/g

dry

wt

9

63 54

25

5

4

23

23

20

16

Metals & metallothioneins in flounder livers

<7 7-8

8-9

9-10

10-1

1

11-1

2

12-1

3

13-1

4

14-1

5

15-1

6

>16

Carapace length (mm)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Ca

dm

ium

( g

g-1

dry

wt)

BaP Metabolite

(A)

Severn Estuary

Bioaccumulation of Cd in Crangon

Induction ofPhase IIenzymes

Induction ofPhase I

enzymes

Formation ofPhase 1

metabolites

Formation ofPhase II

metabolites

Exposure toorganic

contamination

Biological effects of organic contaminants

Induction ofPhase IIenzymes

Induction ofPhase I

enzymes

Formation ofPhase 1

metabolites

Formation ofPhase II

metabolites

Exposure toorganic

contamination

Biological effects of organic contaminants

0

10

20

30

40

Te

mp

(°C

)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

ER

OD

act

ivit

y (p

mo

l/min

/mg

pro

tein

)

M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F

0

500

1000

1500

2000

1996 1997

Mean monthly temperature, Oldbury

EROD activity, eels

EROD activity, flounders

EROD activity, eels

Mean monthly water temperature, Oldbury

Excretion ofbile metabolites

Induction ofPhase IIenzymes

Induction ofPhase I

enzymes

Formation ofPhase 1

metabolites

Formation ofPhase II

metabolites

Exposure toorganic

contamination Bile metabolites in fish

1-O

H

Ph

e

7, 8

D

BaP

1-O

H

Pyr

3-O

H

BaP

1-O

H

BaP

1-O

H

Ch

r

3020 251510

Elution time (mins)

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

Sig

nal

1000

1100

1200

Sig

nal

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

Sig

nal

(a) Standards

(c) Tyne

(b) Severn

1OH P

he

7,8D

BaP

1OH P

yr

1OH C

hr

1OH B

aP

3OH B

aP

TOTAL

PAH metabolite

1OH P

he

7,8D

BaP

1OH P

yr

1OH C

hr

1OH B

aP

3OH B

aP

TOTAL

PAH metabolite

0.0001

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10N

orm

ali

se

d m

eta

bo

lite

co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

m)

0.0001

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

Severn

Tees

Thames

Tyne

Wear

ND

ND

ND

ND

Metabolites

Growth &reproduction

Mutagenesis &carinogenesisTissue

damage

Biological effects of metabolites

Behaviouraleffects

Endocrine &immune systems

Metabolites

Growth &reproduction

Mutagenesis &carinogenesisTissue

damage

Biological effects of metabolites

Behaviouraleffects

Endocrine &immune systems

0 0.1 10 100

Cadmium (g/l)

Failure to bury

0 50 100

Cadmium (g/l)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Pro

po

rtio

n

Successful prey capture

0102030405060708090

100

Pe

rce

nta

ge

Se

ve

rn e

stu

ary

Ex

e e

stu

ary

Behavioural responses in Crangon

Conclusions

A range of approaches at different levels of biological organisation is required

Regular long-term monitoring is essential to establish temporal trends

Developments in genomics & proteomics will change the way the effects of contamination are assessed and monitored

Acknowledgements:

FUNDING: Leverhulme Trust, Environment Agency, University of the West of England, British Ecological Society, The Fisheries Society of the U K

SAMPLING: Oldbury & Hinkley power stations, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

PEOPLE: Members of the Severn Estuary Research Group, including Dr Lyn Newton, Dr Jeanette Rotchell, Dr Sabine Duquesne, Dr Peter Ruddock & Dr Caroline Culshaw