Arsenic absorption and excretion in chronically exposed developing toad Rhinella arenarum

•Arsenic is actively bioaccumulated by developing Rhinella arenarum toad larvae.•Arsenic may reach a bioconcentration factor of about 50 L kg−1 in toad larvae.•Arsenic is rapidly excreted once toad larvae are recovered in clean media.•Arsenic is actively exported from toad larval cells by ABCC-like transporters.

We assessed the toxicodynamics of As in developing Rhinella arenarum toad embryos and larvae exposed from fertilization to 0.01-10 mg As L−1. We determined As content in toad embryos and larvae by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Toad embryos and larvae actively bioaccumulated As, reaching tissue concentrations more than one-thousand higher than control levels after 23d-exposure to 10 mg As L−1. The bioconcentration factors also increased up to fifty times higher levels in toad larvae respect to media levels. Once recovered in As-free media, the larvae rapidly excreted the bioaccumulated As with a half-life of 1.6 d. By calcein transport competition assays, we infer that As is excreted through ABCC-like transporters, probably conjugated with GSH. These results are relevant for comprehending the risks posed by As exposure in this autochthonous aquatic species that develops in water courses from Argentina, that may contain As levels ranging between 10-15,000 μg L−1.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (137KB)Download full-size image