Meeting Abstract

P1-68A    Examining the effects of the U.V. filter oxybenzone on stress markers in signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) Alftealh, R*; Wood, T; Gunderson, MP; The College of Idaho rosol.alftealh@yotes.collegeofidaho.edu

Skin Cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, with UVA and UVB rays as the main risk factors. To minimize this risk, sunscreens are being used resulting in large amounts of U.V. filters ending up in aquatic environments. Oxybenzone, a chemical commonly found in sunscreens, has been linked to coral bleaching and the sales of products containing oxybenzone have been restricted in areas with extensive coral reefs. In this study, we examined whether oxybenzone acts as a pro-oxidant in signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) collected from Grasmere Reservoir (Idaho USA) and measured its effects on the endogenous antioxidants glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione (GSH) using colorimetric assays. Crayfish exposed to 25, 50, 100 or 400 ng/g oxybenzone did not exhibit any changes in GST activity or GSH concentrations in hepatopancreas tissue compared to animals injected with the vehicle control (corn oil). Our preliminary results suggest that oxybenzone is either not inducing oxidative stress at the concentrations tested, or that the endogenous antioxidant systems in this population are robust enough to manage the pro-oxidant challenge. Examining other tissues as well as measuring additional endpoints indicative of oxidative stress will help elucidate this question.