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Assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluent effects on fish reproduction
Citation:
Cavallin, J., K. Jensen, M. Kahl, Dan Villeneuve, J. Mayasich, K. Lee, A. Schroeder, E. Eid, K. Nelson, R. Milsk, B. Blackwell, J. Berninger, C. LaLone, M. Lee, M. Hughes, C. Blanksma, R. Johnson, AND G. Ankley. Assessment of wastewater treatment plant effluent effects on fish reproduction. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Duluth, MN, March 09 - 11, 2015.
Impact/Purpose:
not applicable
Description:
Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are known contributors of chemical mixtures into the environment. Of particular concern are endocrine-disrupting compounds that can affect hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function in exposed organisms. The present study examined the reproductive effects of exposure to a historically estrogenic WWTP effluent. A 21-d reproduction study using fathead minnows was conducted on-site at a WWTP using a continuous flow-through system, delivering final effluent in real-time. Fathead minnow breeding pairs were exposed to control water and three effluent dilutions (5%, 20%, and 100%). Molecular and biochemical endpoints representing key events along adverse outcome pathways linking estrogen receptor activation, and other molecular initiating events, to reproductive impairment were examined. Seven-day composite effluent samples were collected for analytical chemistry and in vitro bioassays. Chemistry results were used to construct a chemical-gene interaction network to aid in targeted gene expression analyses examining additional potentially impacted pathways. Results indicate that cumulative fecundity was significantly reduced in fish exposed to 100% effluent and increased in 20% effluent, the approximate dilution factor in surrounding waters. Male vitellogenin concentrations increased in a dose-dependent manner with effluent dilution. The results provide insights into the significance of pathway-based effects with regard to predicting adverse reproductive outcomes.