Using fish embryos in assessment the toxicity of brominated phenols

Using fish embryos in assessment the toxicity of brominated phenols
Tamer El-Sayed Ali
Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Brominated phenols or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame-retardant potential toxic chemicals
that accumulate in human tissues. To monitor general toxicity of this class of metabolites, embryos of zebrafish
(Danio rerio) were exposed to gradual concentrations of 2-hydroxy brominated diphenyl ether 123 (2OH-BDE123).
Exposures were done by immersion of 1 hour post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish eggs to 72 hpf, nominal concentration
range of 0.03 – 2.5 μM. Embryos/ larvae were assessed daily for death and structural defects. Results revealed that
concentrations from 0.3 μM of such metabolites were toxic to the developing zebrafish causing serious
morphological deformations. Both toxicity incidence and potency were correlated with the concentration applied.
Keywords: Danio rerio – Metabolites – Toxicity – embryo test