This study aimed to investigate the acute and chronic toxic effects of two thermodynamic inhibitors (methanol and ethylene glycol) widely used in deep-sea oil and gas operations on two typical marine fish species, the medaka (Oryzias melastigma) and the yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae), to assess their potential ecological risks in marine environments. The 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) was determined through acute toxicity tests. A 56-day chronic toxicity test was conducted to evaluate the effects on fish growth (body length) and the antioxidant defense system, specifically the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The results revealed marked species-specific differences. In terms of acute toxicity, medaka exhibited exceptionally high sensitivity to ethylene glycol (LC50 15.77 g/L), while the yellowstripe goby showed greater tolerance (LC50 22.17 g/L). Chronic exposure led to concentration-dependent growth inhibition in both species, and medaka showed significantly higher mortality than yellowstripe goby. Under methanol exposure, medaka exhibited significantly higher mortality (30–45%) than yellowstripe goby (5–20%). When exposed to ethylene glycol, medaka showed markedly high mortality (55–85%), while yellowstripe goby mortality remained below 15%. At the molecular level, both chemicals induced oxidative stress, but the response patterns of the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were species-specific, indicating differences in toxic mechanisms and detoxification capacities. Methanol and ethylene glycol pose non-negligible ecotoxicological risks to marine fish, and the toxicity intensity is influenced by species specificity, exposure concentration, and the effectiveness of the antioxidant defense system. This study emphasizes that environmental risk assessments for such chemicals must fully account for species differences and sublethal effects, providing critical scientific evidence for formulating precise environmental safety standards for marine hydrocarbon exploitation.
Yang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.