Indirect Human Health Risk Assessment of the GloFish® Electric Green®, GloFish® Starfire Red®, GloFish® Sunburst Orange®, and the GloFish® Galactic Purple® Barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona), for use as ornamental aquarium fish in Canada

Abstract

An indirect human health risk assessment was conducted on four lines of genetically modified Tiger Barbs (Puntigrus tetrazona) known as the GloFish® Electric Green® Barb (GB2011), GloFish® Starfire Red® Barb (RB2015), GloFish® Sunburst Orange® Barb (OB2019), and the GloFish® Galactic Purple® Barb (PB2019) that were notified under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). GB2011, RB2015, OB2019, and PB2019 are modified lines of diploid, hemizygous or homozygous Tiger Barbs, containing genes encoding for different fluorescent proteins. GB2011, RB2015, OB2019, and PB2019 appear green, red, orange, or purple, respectively, under ambient light (including sunlight). The four lines will be imported from the United States for use as ornamental fish in home aquaria. This risk assessment examined the potential for the four lines to cause harmful effects to humans in Canada relative to wild-type Tiger Barbs as a consequence of environmental exposure including under its intended use in home aquaria. The parental strain, P. tetrazona, has been available as a home aquarium fish since the 1950s without any reported adverse human health effects. There is no evidence to suggest a risk of adverse human health effects for the general Canadian population from use of GB2011, RB2015, OB2019, and PB2019 as ornamental aquarium fish as well as other identified potential uses. As such, there is no expectation that GB2011, RB2015, OB2019, and PB2019 will pose any more risks to human health than wild-type P. tetrazona.