Effects of chronic exposure to the aqueous fraction of produced water on growth, detoxification and immune factors of Atlantic cod

The biggest discharge from the offshore oil industry is produced water (PW). As new technologies emerge to remove oil from such discharges, the question remains as to the effect that the water soluble fraction of contaminants present in PW may have on the biota surrounding the areas of discharge. We investigated the effects of 8 weeks of intermittent exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (100 or 1000 mg/L) of the aqueous fraction of PW (AFPW) on growth parameters, food consumption, respiratory burst activity of head kidney leukocytes (RB), activity of antioxidant enzymes and mRNA expression of immune- and detoxification-related genes of Atlantic cod. No significant effects of AFPW were seen on growth parameters, food consumption and/or RB. Furthermore, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the expression of CYP1A, GST and UGT were not impacted by AFPW treatment. The mRNA expression of some immune related genes was affected in a similar manner as what has been described in Atlantic cod exposed to full PW suggesting that short chain soluble compounds present in PW might be responsible for its immunomodulatory effect. Traditionally used biomarkers of toxicant exposure such as phase I (CYP1A) and phase II (GST, UGT) genes do not seem to be reliable indicators of exposure to AFPW. This study confirms the fact that some immune related genes are affected by soluble components of PW and that further investigation on potential increased disease susceptibility is warranted.

► New technologies improve removal of oil from produced water (PW) discharges.
► The effects of the aqueous fraction of PW (AFPW) on the biota are unknown.
► Exposure to AFPW affected the expression of immune related genes of Atlantic cod.
► Short chain soluble compounds may be responsible for PW’s immunomodulatory effects.