Intentional discharges of produced water from oil production
platforms
to the marine environment contain a complex mixture of toxicants,
including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Early life stages
of fish are highly sensitive to petrogenic exposure, and short-term
exposure during critical periods of embryonic development may have
detrimental effects on larvae health and survival. However, why different
periods are more sensitive to exposure than others are not fully understood.
Three identical exposure experiments (48 h, approx. 30 μg/L
tPAH, sum 42 PAHs) on lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) embryos were conducted where only exposure timing was varied: 0–48
h post fertilization (hpf, starting before chorion hardening), 36–84
hpf (starting after chorion hardening), and 240–288 hpf (during
organogenesis). Total PAH (tPAH) uptake at the end of exposure was
5× higher when exposed during fertilization than when exposed
late (during organogenesis). The first evidence ofcyp1ainduction in lumpfish during embryogenesis was observed after 84
hpf. Early exposure affected lipid droplet coagulation, indicating
altered lipid utilization during embryogenesis. Although no significant
impacts of exposure were observed on hatching success, hatching was
delayed when exposed at the latest time point. This study shows that
chorion properties, lipid content, biotransformation potential, and
timing of produced water exposure during lumpfish embryogenesis affected
PAH uptake and elimination.