Investigation of Toxicological Effects of di-2-ethylhexyl with Fish Embryo Test (FET) in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer in a variety of consumer products. Given the adverse toxicity effects of DEHP on living organisms, its high consumption and dispersal has been caused a serious concern. . Nowedays, the Fish Embryo Test (FET) method is widely used among the conventional methods of toxicology .The aim of the this study was to determine the acute toxicity of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo using FET method to assess both lethal and sublethal endpoints and anomalies effects over 5 days . Zebrafish embryos (3 hours post-fertilization) were exposed to different concentrations of DEHP (0.05, 5, 20, 35, 50 and 100 µg/l) for 120 h, then, lethal and sub-letahl endpoints of embryos evaluated and data were analized using Probit software. The LC50, NOEC and LOEC values obtained for DEHP were 46.14, 12.08 and 22.06 µg/l, respectively. Also, There were abnormalities including  coagulation of the embryo, lack of somite formation, non-detachment of the tail bud from the yolk sac, malformation of tail and lack of heartbeat in the embryos. This study showed that DEHP is a teratogenic pollutants and the application of FET method is / an alternative method for developmental toxicity tests to predict effects of emerging pollutants on aquatic organisms.