Exposure routes and toxicokinetics of metals in the European sea bass: a molecular biological and physiological analysis

Aquatic vertebrates like fish can accumulate metals through different uptake routes. Each route leads to a typical tissue distribution pattern of the metal and thus to different toxicological effects. To make an ecological founded risk assessment it is therefore essential to know to which extent each uptake route contributes to the total metal accumulation. Also for marine species data are rather scarce when compared to freshwater fish.

In this project the relative importance of water and food in total metal uptake will be determined for the European sea bass or Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), a common predator of estuarine and marine environments. In order to quantify metal uptake from food and water a radio-isotope tracer technique is being applied. You can find more information on our radio lab here. Furthermore the effects of metal exposure through water and food are studied on the molecular and physiological level.