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INDIVIDUAL EFFECTS OF THREE STEROIDAL ESTROGENS ON A FISH EXTRAPOLATED TO THE POPULATION LEVEL
Citation:
GutjahrGobell, R E., T R. Gleason, G Zaroogian, D B. Horowitz, AND L J. Mills. INDIVIDUAL EFFECTS OF THREE STEROIDAL ESTROGENS ON A FISH EXTRAPOLATED TO THE POPULATION LEVEL. Presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, November 16-20, 2002.
Description:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment may disturb the population dynamics of wildlife by affecting reproductive output and early life survival of organisms. This study used a population model and data obtained from laboratory experimentation and the literature to evaluate whether the estrogens: 17a-ethynylestradiol (EE2), 17b-estradiol (E2), and estrone (E4), could affect cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus population growth rate ( ). Cunner, a temperate reef fish, inhabit estuarine and marine areas where sewage treatment and contaminant discharges containing estrogens are likely. Additionally, cunner have proven suitable for conducting laboratory experiments with reproductive endpoints. An age-structured matrix population model was developed using survival probabilities and fecundity estimates obtained from the literature. By incorporating experimental response data from laboratory exposures, the model was used to evaluate whether EDCs could impact cunner . Reproductively active cunner were exposed in the laboratory in three experiments (EE2, E2 and E4) by implanting estrogens subcutaneously in a slow-release matrix. Treatments included control (matrix only) and three nominal concentrations (0.05, 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg). Egg production was determined daily. Our model showed that impaired fecundity of 24% and 75%, measured at the medium and high EE2 treatments, caused to decrease. Exposure to E2 enhanced fecundity over 50% in low and medium treatments, increasing . E2 exposure in the highest treatment impaired fecundity 28%, decreasing . E4 exposure impaired fecundity over 40% in both the medium and high treatments, decreasing . Fecundity was unaffected at the low treatment of EE2 and E4. A matrix modeling approach using laboratory generated EDC data may be useful to predict the growth rate of populations.