Municipal waste water effluent impact on native fish: mechanisms of action and BIOMIC signatures

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Calgary's economic growth has created a steadily expanding population, which is a major source of contaminants to the Bow River. Three municipal wastewater treatment plants discharge effluents (MWWE) that include a cocktail of chemicals, including over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs. This is of concern because some pharmaceuticals, including antipsychotic drugs, are designed specifically to have rapid effects in humans at very low concentrations, but the effect they may have on non-target fish species is currently unknown. Given the uncontrolled release of pharmaceuticals into rivers, which is projected to increase as the human population ages, it is imperative that we develop a thorough understanding of the pharmaceutical footprints and the associated impact on the native aquatic biota. The studies we propose are part of the critical path to develop solutions to protect ecosystem health, maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services upon which we depend. We propose a systems biology approach that uses quantitative techniques to measure global gene, protein, metabolite and epigenetic changes to construct biological networks in fish liver as a model for long-term and generational impacts due to MWWE exposure. Our exposure effects-based model will be further complemented by measurement of phenotypic changes, including stress and reproductive performances of native fish across multiple generations. This detailed appraisal of pharmaceutical footprints, performance-based phenotypes and construction of biological network models in native fish will provide critical baseline information on MWWE impact and the mode of action of emerging contaminants. This mechanism-based approach will assist industries and governmental agencies to make informed decisions about the impact and develop solutions to protect and preserve the water resources and aquatic ecosystem health, especially given that very little is known regarding the effect of emerging contaminants on non-target organisms.