The Bioeffect Assessment Index

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The Bioeffect Assessment Index
A promising tool for the estimation of Baltic Sea
environmental quality?
Broeg, K., Barsiene, J., Böhmert, B., Förlin,
L., Koehler, A., Kopecka, J., Lang, T., Lehtonen,
K., Parkkonen, J., Pempkowiak, J., Schiedeck, D.,
Vuontisjärvi, H., Vuorinen, P.
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Aim of the study

• A concept for the application of a biomarker set
  in pollution monitoring

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Aim of the study

• A concept for the application of a biomarker set
  in pollution monitoring
• Quantification of pollution-induced alterations
  of the biological system

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Aim of the study

• A concept for the application of a biomarker set
  in pollution monitoring
• Quantification of pollution-induced alterations
  of the biological system
• Individual Fish Health Ecosystem Health

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Strategy

• Biomarkers of toxic effects and exposure at
  different levels of biological organisation were
  selected
• These markers were applied on each individual
  fish to define a physiological status of
  pollution-induced alterations

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Biomarker cascade
Molecular EROD
Subcellular Lysosomal Stability
membrane
Cellular Liver Cell Lipid
Accumulation
Individual Macrophage Aggregate
Activity Trichodina Infection
Intensity

Community Parasite Diversity
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Scale of Biomarker Responses

• Is a progress of alterations detectable?

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Scale of Biomarker Responses
Stage 1 Lystab gt20 min.
Stage 2 Lystab gt10- 20 min.
Stage 3 Lystab 5-10 min.
Stage 4 Lystab lt 5 min.
EROD not induced no lipid accumulation active
immune response low Trichodina infection high
parasite diversity
EROD induction lipid accumulation immune
response Trichodina infection parasite diversity
EROD induction lipid accumulation immune
response Trichodina infection parasite diversity
EROD induction lipid accumulation immune
response Trichodina infection parasite diversity

Medium/late response
Early response
Late response
No response
High variability

Chronic contaminant exposure
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Integrated evaluation of BEEP data

• The following examples are based on data from
  biomarker studies in the Baltic Sea (2001-2002,
  EU project BEEP)
• Biomarkers were studied in more than 600
  individual flounder

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• How can we integrate this complex biomarker
  information into a general index for the
  quantification of biological effects?

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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index

• Based on Health Assessment Index (Adams et al.
  1993)
• allows statistical comparison among sample data
  and integration of different parameters.
• Substitution of each parameter value according
  to grading by a numerical value
• stage 110, stage 220, stage330, stage 440

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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index

• calculation by summing all individual fish BAI
  values and dividing by the total number of fish
  in the sample
• higher BAI values indicate poorer health
  condition

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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index

• The BAI is created as a screening index
  reflecting the complex contamination situation of
  coastal areas
• The BAI includes biomarkers of non-specific
  toxic effects, exclusively
• In a second step biomarkers of specific exposure
  may help to identify the quality of contamination

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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index

• Parameter included
• Lysosomal membrane stability
• Neutral lipid accumulation
• Activity of macrophage aggregates

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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index
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Quantity
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Quality
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BAI
EROD
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Metallothionein
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Metallothionein
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Metallothionein
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Metallothionein
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BAI (2) - Bioeffect Assessment Index

• Parameter included
• Lysosomal membrane stability
• Neutral lipid accumulation
• Activity of macrophage aggregates
• Micronuclei

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BAI (2) - Bioeffect Assessment Index
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BAI
LOC 1
LOC 5
LOC 3 2002
LOC 4 2002
BAI (2)
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Conclusions

• The application of the BAI in Baltic Sea flounder
  yielded
• consistent results for the assessment of
  biological effects caused by the complex and
  diverse contamination situation at the different
  sampling locations.
• It may serve as a promising quantitative tool for
  the assessment of biological effects in
  monitoring programmes.

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Conclusions

• Index values were comparable to calculations
  obtained from biomarker studies on flounder of
  the German Bight.

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Conclusions

• Additional application of specific biomarkers/
  biomarkers of specific exposure provided
  indications of the quality of contamination.

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What next?

• Discussions for the further improvement of this
  concept to deliver a scientific-based instrument
  for the assessment and quantification of
  environmental quality in German Bight and Baltic
  Sea

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Thanks

• European Union (EU) Project BEEP, WP 2.
• Babette Peschel, Sonja Einsporn, Wiebke Kaiser,
  Dr. Markus Salomon.
• Hans-Carl Lührs and his crew (research vessel
  Uthörn).
• All the people who worked for this project in all
  WP2 laboratories.

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• In an ecosystem all ecological processes are
  interrelated so that a significant disturbance
  affecting only one process will impigne on the
  whole.
• Norton, 1991

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Scale of Biomarker Responses
EROD
Neutral lipid accumulation
Absorbance
Activity
Stages
Stages
Trichodina infection intensity
Acid phosphatase activity in MA
Intensity
Absorbance
Stages
Stages
Number of different parasite species
Number
Stages
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Biomarker Gradation
Numerical values (BAI) assigned for the applied
biomarkers (North Sea flounder).
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BAI - Bioeffect Assessment Index