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SEQUENTIAL SAMPLING OF PLASMA CHOLINESTERASE IN MALLARDS (ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS) AS AN INDICATOR OF EXPOSURE TO CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORS
Citation:
Fairbrother, A., R. Bennett, AND J. Bennett. SEQUENTIAL SAMPLING OF PLASMA CHOLINESTERASE IN MALLARDS (ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS) AS AN INDICATOR OF EXPOSURE TO CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITORS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-89/106 (NTIS PB90108259), 1989.
Description:
The use of sequential measurements of plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity for monitoring exposure to organophosphorus pesticides was investigated in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). t the onset of incubation, birds were assigned to treated (400 ppm methyl parathion in the diet), pair-fed (same daily food allotment on a g/kg/d basis as consumed by the treated bird of the pair), control or nonincubating control groups. lood samples were collected weekly during egg-laying and every 3 d during incubation periods. oth plasma and brain samples were taken on day 24 of incubation. lasma ChE was more variable than brain ChE among the birds and there were no significant correlations (p>0.05) between plasma and brain samples within treatment groups. educed food consumption during incubation did not affect plasma ChE activity (p=0.77). irds that abandoned their nests had significantly increased (paired t= -2.39, d.f.=9, p<0.05) ChE activity at the time of abandonment. here were significant differences (p<0.01) in plasma ChE activity between untreated birds, but within-bird variation was 2 and 11 times less than between-bird variation during egg-laying and incubation, respectively. ethyl parathion significantly (p<0.0001) reduced plasma ChE activity. easurement of plasma ChE activity provides a noninvasive, nonlethal technique for assessing the exposure of animals to ChE inhibitors.