Variation of antioxidant enzyme activities of sprat (Sprattus sprattus) larvae and organic contaminant levels in mixed zooplankton from the southern North Sea. |
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| Authors: | L D Peters C Porte D R Livingstone |
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| Institution: | NERC Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Devon, UK. ldp@pml.ac.uk |
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| Abstract: | Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) larvae and mixed zooplankton were collected from sites in the southern North Sea across three transects running north, north-west and west from the Elbe and Weser estuaries (Germany). Sprat larval sub-cellular fractions (13,500 g supernatants) were assayed for the antixoxidant enzymes catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1), and levels of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), p,p'-DDE and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the mixed zooplankton (fish larval diet). Higher levels (p < 0.05) of SOD and catalase activities were observed at sites closest to estuaries corresponding to sites with the highest levels (p < 0.05) of total PCBs and p,p'-DDE. Antioxidant enzymes activities decreased in samples collected from sites further from the estuaries across a northern and north-western transect; however this was not observed across a western transect. Larval antioxidant enzyme activities are discussed in relation to potential processes affecting them including plankton contaminant level distributions. |
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