Acute Toxicity and Histopathological Assessment of Bisphenol A in Danube Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) Larvae

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), an important component of the plastics industry, is characterized as an endocrine disrupting toxic substance for aquatic organisms. This study focused on the toxic effects of BPA on endangered Danube sturgeon larvae (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). In the study, LC50 values for five different BPA concentrations (100, 200, 400, 800, 1200 µg/L) were observed as 803.4 µg/L, 63.1 µg/L, and 39.6 µg/L at 24th, 48th and 72nd hours, respectively. Especially, the lethal effect of BPA on the larvae was remarkable after the 24th hour. On the other hand, histopathological changes were examined based on the LC50 value at the 24th hour. Vacuolization symptom was noted in the gills of the larvae. In addition, vacuolization and melanomacrophage centers caused a severe degradation in liver and kidney tissues of BPA group. In the intestine, the number of goblet cells per ville was lower in the BPA group. As a result, it has been proven by LC50 and histopathological studies that BPA has high toxicity in A. gueldenstaedtii larvae.