Behaviour and biomarkers as tools to assess the acute toxicity of benzo(a)pyrene in the common prawn Palaemon serratus

Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) is considered an important marine environmental contaminant, given its recognised environmental persistence and toxicity. However, its effects in marine crustaceans are poorly studied, namely the accumulation and sub-cellular effects that might be linked to behavioural alterations and may lead to ecologically relevant consequences. This study aims to investigate behavioural and physiological responses of the common prawn ( Palaemon serratus) after acute exposure to BaP and infer the potential effects for the population in the wild. The applied approach included the evaluation of swimming performance after exposure, and several biochemical biomarkers involved in biotransformation, oxidative damage, energy production and levels of BaP-type compounds in tissues (eye, digestive gland and muscle) in a96h acute bioassay with exposure to BaP (16-4096μg/L). The objective was to establish a link between behaviour (swimming velocity) and biochemical responses in order to assess the ecological relevance of the effects induced by BaP in P.serratus and to select useful tools for environmental risk assessment. Results showed swimming velocity impairment (LOEC=128μg/L), lipid peroxidation (LPO) induction (LOEC=4096μg/L) and BaP-type compounds increase in eye (LOEC=32μg/L), digestive gland and muscle (LOEC=512μg/L) of prawn after exposure to BaP. This oxidative damage in lipids seems to be caused by the incapacity to activate detoxification and anti-oxidant enzymes, once glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were not affected by the exposure. This could be also an explanation to the increased levels of BaP-type compounds observed in tissues. An inability to increase the activities of enzymes involved in the production of energy was also observed, which may help to explain the detoxification failure and consequent increased levels of lipid peroxidation. The inhibition of swimming velocity was negatively correlated with biochemical parameters, including the presence of BaP-type compounds in different tissues and LPO, and thus, these parameters might be used as ecologically relevant and early-warning tools to assess the effects of PAHs. This study also highlights the usefulness of the fixed wavelength fluorescence (FF) technique to quantify PAHs-type compounds in tissues as indicative of exposure of P.serratus to PAHs, namely the sensitivity of eyes, which might be used for monitoring purposes and in marine ecological risk assessment studies. •Benzo(a)pyrene induced biochemical and behavioural alterations in prawns.•Oxidative stress and BaP-type compounds accumulation are correlated with swimming velocity impairment.•BaP-type compounds in different tissues might be used as early-warning tools to assess the effects of PAHs.•Palaemon serratus eyes showed advantages for monitoring purposes and in marine ecological risk assessment studies