Identifying pathways of pharmaceutical exposure in a mesoconsumer marine fish

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• Aquatic Ecology

Background:

• Pharmaceuticals are increasingly detected in aquatic environments.
• Limited research exists on multi-compartment pharmaceutical exposure in fish.
• Understanding exposure pathways is vital for ecological risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pharmaceutical burden in bonefish (Albula vulpes).
• To identify and evaluate multiple exposure pathways, including prey consumption.
• To estimate potential human daily dose exposure for bonefish.

Main Methods:

• Assessed pharmaceutical concentrations in bonefish, prey, water, and sediment.
• Evaluated bioconcentration and bioaccumulation using field-derived bioaccumulation factors (fBAF).
• Estimated bonefish exposure based on energetic requirements and prey consumption rates.

Main Results:

• Pharmaceuticals were most concentrated in prey, followed by bonefish, water, and sediment.
• Fifteen pharmaceuticals were common across bonefish, prey, and water, with all bioconcentrating.
• Four pharmaceuticals bioaccumulated in bonefish; maximum exposure was 1.2% of a human daily dose via prey.

Conclusions:

• Prey consumption is a significant pharmaceutical exposure pathway for bonefish.
• Multicompartment assessments are necessary to understand fish exposure.
• Ecological risk assessments should consider both water and prey as exposure routes.