Chemical dispersants used in the Gulf of Mexico oil crisis are cytotoxic and genotoxic to sperm whale skin cells

Catherine F Wise; James T F Wise; Sandra S Wise; W Douglas Thompson; John Pierce Wise Jr; John Pierce Wise Sr

doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.04.020

Chemical dispersants used in the Gulf of Mexico oil crisis are cytotoxic and genotoxic to sperm whale skin cells

Aquat Toxicol. 2014 Jul:152:335-40. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.04.020. Epub 2014 Apr 25.

Authors

Catherine F Wise¹, James T F Wise², Sandra S Wise³, W Douglas Thompson⁴, John Pierce Wise Jr⁵, John Pierce Wise Sr⁶

Affiliations

¹ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: catherine.wise@maine.edu.
² Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: jamestwise@gmail.com.
³ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: sandra.wise@maine.edu.
⁴ Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: dougt@usm.maine.edu.
⁵ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: wise19@purdue.edu.
⁶ Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Maine Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Department of Applied Medical Science, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04103, USA. Electronic address: john.wise@usm.maine.edu.

PMID: 24813266
DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.04.020

Abstract

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico drew attention to the need for toxicological studies of chemical dispersants. We are still learning the effects these spills had on wildlife. Little is known about the toxicity of these substances in marine mammals. The objective of this study was to determine the toxicity of the two dispersants (Corexit 9500 and 9527). Corexit 9500 and 9527 were both cytotoxic to sperm whale skin fibroblasts. Corexit 9527 was less cytotoxic than 9500. S9 mediated metabolism did not alter cytotoxicity of either dispersant. Both dispersants were genotoxic to sperm whale skin fibroblasts; S9 mediated metabolism increased Corexit 9527 genotoxicity.

Keywords: Chemical dispersant; Corexit; Deepwater Horizon oil spill; Genotoxicity; Gulf of Mexico; Sperm whale.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Survival / drug effects
Cells, Cultured
DNA Damage / drug effects
Fibroblasts / drug effects*
Gulf of Mexico
Lipids / toxicity*
Skin / cytology
Skin / drug effects
Sperm Whale*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

Lipids
Water Pollutants, Chemical
corexit 9500
corexit 9527