An in-situ amphibian metamorphosis assay to evaluate oil spill-related toxicity in receiving fresh water environments

最近，加拿大皇家学会在其报告《原油释放到水环境的行为和环境影响》（RSC 2015）中指出了淡水系统中石油泄漏的主要知识缺口。该小组对未来研究的建议包括：1)开发和改进溢油修复/填海方法；2)研究修复方法的有效性，特别是在淡水和北极生态系统中。对于拟议的工业伙伴，Lorax环境服务有限公司（Lorax），他们提供的一些主要服务是帮助评价引入接收水生系统的人为化合物的毒性影响，包括补救、处理、水质建模和环境评估。Lorax寻求实施新的、经过科学验证的方法来帮助评估水生生态系统的健康状况。该研究项目将建立一种两栖动物变态测定法，作为淡水生态系统健康和恢复的指标，可应用于危险地点和/或溢油后的补救措施。两栖动物幼虫对环境污染物特别敏感，因为它们很容易通过口服和皮肤吸收接触到污染物。此外，青蛙从蝌蚪到成虫的发育是一个高度复杂的过程，是由复杂的激素相互作用精心策划的。这种激素系统保存在所有高等脊椎动物体内，对石油产品的污染物很敏感。因此，青蛙是其栖息地中与石油有关的毒性的优秀生物指示器。本研究将有助于测试使用青蛙蝌蚪作为油类毒性哨兵的修复方法的有效性。能源行业在接收淡水生态系统中执行ea时将受益于这种方法。此外，这项研究将有助于监测泄漏后生态系统的恢复，同时也将有助于其他研究人员研究相关两栖动物种群健康，鉴于该群体的全球下降。

Recently the Royal Society of Canada identified major knowledge gaps regarding oil spill into freshwater systems in their report "The Behaviour and Environmental Impacts of Crude Oil Released into Aqueous Environments" (RSC 2015). The panel's recommendations for future research includes, 1) the development and improvement of oil spill remediation/reclamation methods, and 2) research on the efficacy of remediation methods, especially in freshwater and arctic ecosystems.For the proposed industry partner, Lorax Environmental Services Ltd. (Lorax), some of the major services they offer to aid in evaluating the toxic effects of anthropogenic compounds introduced into receiving aquatic systems, are remediation, treatment, water quality modelling and environmental assessment (EA). Lorax seeks to implement new, scientifically proven methods to aid assessing the health of aquatic ecosystems. This research project will establish an amphibian metamorphosis assay to serve as indicator of health and recovery for freshwater ecosystems, which can be applied to sites at risk and/or post oil-spill remediation. Amphibian larvae are especially sensitive to environmental contaminants as they are readily exposed to them both orally, and through skin absorption. Moreover, frog development from tadpole to adult is a highly complicated process which is orchestrated by complex hormonal interactions. This hormone system is preserved in all higher vertebrates and is sensitive to contaminants from petroleum products. Thus, frogs are excellent bioindicators for petroleum-related toxicity in their habitat. This research will aid in testing effectiveness of remediation methods using frog tadpoles as sentinels for oil-related toxicity. The energy industry will benefit from this method when performing EAs in receiving, freshwater ecosystems. In addition, this study will aid to monitor ecosystem recovery post-spill, and as well, will be useful to other researchers studying related amphibian population health, in light of the global decline of this group.