Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i>
Organic solvents are often used in aquatic toxicity tests to facilitate the testing of hydrophobic or poorly water-soluble substances such as ultraviolet (UV) filters, pesticides, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Knowledge of intrinsic effects (i.e., measured as standardized and non-stand...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/4/367 |
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| author | Valentina Di Mauro Elham Kamyab Matthias Y. Kellermann Mareen Moeller Samuel Nietzer Laura H. Luetjens Sascha Pawlowski Mechtild Petersen-Thiery Peter J. Schupp |
| author_facet | Valentina Di Mauro Elham Kamyab Matthias Y. Kellermann Mareen Moeller Samuel Nietzer Laura H. Luetjens Sascha Pawlowski Mechtild Petersen-Thiery Peter J. Schupp |
| author_sort | Valentina Di Mauro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Organic solvents are often used in aquatic toxicity tests to facilitate the testing of hydrophobic or poorly water-soluble substances such as ultraviolet (UV) filters, pesticides, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Knowledge of intrinsic effects (i.e., measured as standardized and non-standardized endpoints) of such carrier solvents in non-standardized organisms (i.e., corals), is critical to regulatory processes. Therefore, we exposed the reef-building coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> to the most commonly used carrier solvents ethanol, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dimethylformamide in the range of 10–100 µL L<sup>−1</sup> for 16 days. The effects on mortality, photobiological, morphological, and oxidative stress markers were evaluated. In our study, all solvents resulted in significant morphological and/or oxidative stress responses, but not in mortality. Moreover, ethanol led to a rapid increase in turbidity, thus questioning its suitability as a carrier solvent in aquatic studies in general. Based on our observations, we could rank the solvent effects as follows: dimethylformamide < dimethyl sulfoxide ≈ methanol ≤ ethanol, with dimethylformamide showing the least and ethanol the most pronounced effects. We conclude that the use of solvents in toxicity studies with corals, particularly by examining non-standardized (e.g., morphological, physiological) endpoints, should be taken with caution and requires further elaboration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:27:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0bb11a8154694ba7b87c11cd60cecde1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:27:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-0bb11a8154694ba7b87c11cd60cecde12023-11-17T21:37:54ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042023-04-0111436710.3390/toxics11040367Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i>Valentina Di Mauro0Elham Kamyab1Matthias Y. Kellermann2Mareen Moeller3Samuel Nietzer4Laura H. Luetjens5Sascha Pawlowski6Mechtild Petersen-Thiery7Peter J. Schupp8Environmental Biochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstr. 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyGerman Center for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyEnvironmental Biochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstr. 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyEnvironmental Biochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstr. 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyEnvironmental Biochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstr. 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyDepartment of Product Safety, Regulatory Ecotoxicology, BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, GermanyDepartment of Product Safety, Regulatory Ecotoxicology, BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, GermanyProduct Stewardship and EHS Data Management, BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH, Rheinpromenade 1, 40789 Monheim am Rhein, GermanyEnvironmental Biochemistry Group, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Schleusenstr. 1, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, GermanyOrganic solvents are often used in aquatic toxicity tests to facilitate the testing of hydrophobic or poorly water-soluble substances such as ultraviolet (UV) filters, pesticides, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Knowledge of intrinsic effects (i.e., measured as standardized and non-standardized endpoints) of such carrier solvents in non-standardized organisms (i.e., corals), is critical to regulatory processes. Therefore, we exposed the reef-building coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> to the most commonly used carrier solvents ethanol, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dimethylformamide in the range of 10–100 µL L<sup>−1</sup> for 16 days. The effects on mortality, photobiological, morphological, and oxidative stress markers were evaluated. In our study, all solvents resulted in significant morphological and/or oxidative stress responses, but not in mortality. Moreover, ethanol led to a rapid increase in turbidity, thus questioning its suitability as a carrier solvent in aquatic studies in general. Based on our observations, we could rank the solvent effects as follows: dimethylformamide < dimethyl sulfoxide ≈ methanol ≤ ethanol, with dimethylformamide showing the least and ethanol the most pronounced effects. We conclude that the use of solvents in toxicity studies with corals, particularly by examining non-standardized (e.g., morphological, physiological) endpoints, should be taken with caution and requires further elaboration.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/4/367UV-filtertoxicitybiomarkersunscreenecotoxicology<i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Di Mauro Elham Kamyab Matthias Y. Kellermann Mareen Moeller Samuel Nietzer Laura H. Luetjens Sascha Pawlowski Mechtild Petersen-Thiery Peter J. Schupp Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> Toxics UV-filter toxicity biomarker sunscreen ecotoxicology <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title | Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title_full | Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title_fullStr | Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title_short | Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| title_sort | ecotoxicological effects of four commonly used organic solvents on the scleractinian coral i montipora digitata i |
| topic | UV-filter toxicity biomarker sunscreen ecotoxicology <i>Montipora digitata</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/11/4/367 |
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