[Coral-List] New paper on toxicity of benzophenone-2 on coral planulae

Cheryl Woodley - NOAA Federal cheryl.woodley at noaa.gov
Wed Jan 22 11:49:48 EST 2014


Hi Coral-List Members,


I would like to draw your attention to a new publication on the toxicity of
a UV blocking compound, Benzophenone-2 and its effects on Stylophora
planulae and in a coral cell bioassay.


The article is in the journal Ecotoxicology.  A link to the article can be
found at  http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10646-013-1161-y


Below is the abstract for the paper:


Toxicological effects of the sunscreen UV filter, benzophenone-2, on
planulae and in vitro cells of the coral, *Stylophora pistillata*


C. A. Downs • Esti Kramarsky-Winter • John E. Fauth • Roee Segal •Omri
Bronstein • Rina Jeger • Yona Lichtenfeld • Cheryl M. Woodley •

Paul Pennington • Ariel Kushmaro • Yossi Loya

Accepted: 7 December 2013


Abstract Benzophenone-2 (BP-2) is an additive to personal-care products and
commercial solutions that protects against the damaging effects of
ultraviolet light. BP-2 is an ‘‘emerging contaminant of concern’’ that is
often released as a pollutant through municipal and boat/ship wastewater
discharges and landfill leachates, as well as through residential septic
fields and unmanaged cesspits. AlthoughBP-2may be a contaminant on coral
reefs, its environmental toxicity to reefs is unknown. This poses a
potential management issue, since BP-2 is a known endocrine disruptor as
well as a weak genotoxicant. We examined the effects of BP-2 on the larval form
(planula) of the coral, Stylophora pistillata, as well as its toxicity to
in vitro coral cells. BP-2 is a photo-toxicant; adverse effects are
exacerbated in the light versus in darkness. Whether in darkness or light,
BP-2 induced coral planulae to transformfromamotile planktonic state to a
deformed, sessile condition. Planulae exhibited an increasing rate of
coral bleaching in response to increasing concentrations of BP-2. BP-2 is a
genotoxicant to corals, exhibiting a strong positive relationship between
DNA-AP lesions and increasing BP-2 concentrations. BP-2 exposure in the
light induced extensive necrosis in both the epidermis and gastrodermis. In
contrast, BP-2 exposure in darkness induced autophagy and autophagic cell
death. The LC50 of BP-2 in the light for an 8 and 24 h exposure was 120 and
165 parts per billion (ppb), respectively. The LC50s for BP-2 in darkness
for the same time points were 144 and 548 ppb. Deformity EC20 levels (24
h) were 246 parts per trillion in the light and 9.6 ppb in darkness.


These are links to press responses to the paper:


http://www.prunderground.com/sunscreen-chemical-in-soaps-cosmetics-body-fragrances-threaten-coral-reefs-says-haereticus/0031720/



http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Israeli-American-researchers-identify-coral-reef-toxin-in-hundreds-of-beauty-products-338449

-- 
Cheryl M. Woodley, Ph.D.
Coral Health and Disease Program

DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS
Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research
Hollings Marine Laboratory
331 Fort Johnson Rd
Charleston, SC 29412
843.762.8862 Phone
843.762.8737 Fax
cheryl.woodley at noaa.gov


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