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Studies the biochemical and histological biomarkers by the adult crucian carp living in a biologically treated pulp mill effluent in Finland. Hormonal effects of treated pulp mill effluent on crucian carps; Analyses of hemoglobin, hematocrit and testosterone; Gonad somatic index.

Retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene) is a dialkyl-substituted PAH derived thermally and microbially from dehydroabietic acid. We have analyzed for retene and several resin acids in sediments at five depths at several sites in a lake receiving effluents from three pulp and paper mills, and two upstream reference sites. The highest concentration of retene was 1,600 micro g/g dry weight (11,700 micro g/g organic carbon [OC]) and of total resin acids was 1,500 micro micro g/g dry weight (9,300 g/g OC). Twelve kilometers downstream from the point of bleached-kraft mill effluent (BKME) discharge, the concentrationof retene at a depth of 5 to 10 cm was 16 micro g/g dry weight (650 micro g/g OC) and of resin acids was 139 micro g/g dry weight (1,700 micro g/g OC). Upstream of the BKME discharge, the concentration of retene was below 0.1 micro g/g dry weight and of resin acids was below70 micro g/g dry weight. To assess the bioavailability of retene to fish we determined its concentration in the bile of roach (Rutilus rutilus) and perch (Perca fluviatilis) caught 1 to 2 km downstream of pulp and paper mills and in the reference area. Retene was bioavailable to roach, which primarily feed on benthic organisms; however, retene was not detected in perch bile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological and biochemical biomarker responses were studied in juvenile whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L. s.l.) exposed experimentallyto effluent from the forest industry. The large study area (609 km2), Southern Lake Saimaa, in Southeast Finland, receives 330,000 m3 d-1 of biologically and 55,000 m3 d-1 of chemically treated effluents, discharged fromtwo integrated elementary chlorine free (ECF) bleached kraft pulp and paper mills, from one ECF pulp mill, and from one mill producing unbleached pulp and cardboard. The assessment of exposure to effluent discharged from the mills was based on lake water chlorophenolics (CPs) and resin acids (RAs) measured in samples collected from the 22 experimental sites along the area. Despite the low levels of effluent constituents in the lake, they were still accumulated in detectable levels in fish bile, indicating an exposure to the bioactive compounds of effluents. In comparison to the reference area, a two- to four-foldincrease in ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was observed in whitefish exposed in the vicinity (1--6 km) of all the mills. However, cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) gene expression was increased in only one of the receiving areas, indicating higher sensitivity of theEROD activity in the present study. There were no statistically significant correlations between EROD activity and the ambient water concentrations of the CPs, the RAs, or effluent dilution expressed by water sodium concentration. Neither bile chlorophenolics nor bile resin acids showed a significant correlation with EROD. No significant changes in circulating reproductive steroids, 17beta-estradiol and testosterone, in juvenile whitefish were observed. The vitellogenin gene was expressed in the vicinity of the pulp mill discharging the most wood-derived compounds, ie. resin acids and wood-sterols, including beta-sitosterol. No differences were observed in plasma immunoglobulin M,gluc [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]