Should the use of inhibition of cholinesterases as a specific biomarker for organophosphate and carbamate pesticides be questioned?

Recently there has been evidence that contaminants other than organophosphate and carbamate pesticides may inhibit the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) both under in vitro and in vivo conditions. In this study we investigated the in vitro effect of three detergents [dodecyl benzyl sulphonate (DBS), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and a mixture commonly used as domestic detergent (X)] and three metals [molybdenum, barium and chromium (VI)] on AChE activity of Mytilus galloprovincialis haemolymph. All the detergents tested significantly inhibited the activity of the enzyme. The lowest observed effect concentrations were equal to 12.5 for DBS and 50 mg l(-1) for SDS and X. Among the metals, molybdenum and barium had no effect on AChE activity, whereas chromium (VI) significantly depressed the activity of the enzyme at concentrations equal to or higher than 25 mg l(-1). These results suggest that the use of AChE as a specific biomarker for organophosphate and carbamate pesticides should be questioned and that the use of this enzyme as a biomarker could be extended.