Ecotoxicological Effects of Four Commonly Used Organic Solvents on the Scleractinian Coral <i>Montipora digitata</i>
Valentina Di Mauro,
Elham Kamyab,
Matthias Y. Kellermann,
Mareen Moeller,
Samuel Nietzer,
Laura H. Luetjens,
Sascha Pawlowski,
Mechtild Petersen-Thiery,
Peter J. Schupp
Affiliations
Valentina Di Mauro
Environmental 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, Germany
Elham Kamyab
German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Matthias Y. Kellermann
Environmental 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, Germany
Mareen Moeller
Environmental 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, Germany
Samuel Nietzer
Environmental 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, Germany
Laura H. Luetjens
Department of Product Safety, Regulatory Ecotoxicology, BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Sascha Pawlowski
Department of Product Safety, Regulatory Ecotoxicology, BASF SE, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Mechtild Petersen-Thiery
Product Stewardship and EHS Data Management, BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH, Rheinpromenade 1, 40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany
Peter J. Schupp
Environmental 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, Germany
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 Montipora digitata to the most commonly used carrier solvents ethanol, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and dimethylformamide in the range of 10–100 µL L−1 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.
