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TRANSFER TO TOXIC CONCENTRATIONS OF SELENIUM FROM PARENT TO PROGENY IN THE FATHEAD MINNOW (PIMEPHALES PROMELAS)
Citation:
Schultz, R. AND R. Hermanutz. TRANSFER TO TOXIC CONCENTRATIONS OF SELENIUM FROM PARENT TO PROGENY IN THE FATHEAD MINNOW (PIMEPHALES PROMELAS). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-90/249 (NTIS PB91145003).
Description:
Selenium, an essential trace clement, may become concentrated in aquatic ecosystems to levels that are toxic to fish. inley (1985) and Gillespie and Baumarn (1986) have shown that selenium in overflow water from coal burning power plant settling basins contributed to a decline in fish populations. he leaching of selenium from the soil into water systems used for irrigation highly seleniferous areas of the country poses another serious problem (Eisler 1985 and Saiki and Lowe 1987). illespie end Baumann (1986) and Woock et al. (1987) demonstrated that female bluegill sunfish transfer selenium to their progeny. esearch undertaken at the Monticello Ecological Research Station MERS) has shown occurrences of edema and lordosis in the larvae of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to 10 ug/l selenium in experimental streams. he objective of this study was to determine whether the selenium levels within fathead minnow embryos in a semi-natural ecosystem resulted from direct uptake by the embryos following spawning, from female-to-progeny transferral, or from some combination of these two occurrences. his study was carried out by 1) collecting embryos and ovaries from fatheads raised in control and 10 ug/l selenium streams, 2) analyzing these fathead embryos and ovaries for selenium content, 3) analyzing the uptake of selenium over a 24 hour period by embryos from control streams when placed in 10 ug/l selenium water, and 4) comparing occurrences of edema and lordosis in the larvae.