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APPROACHES TO EXTRAPOLATING EFFECTS OF EDCS ACROSS BIOLOGICAL LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN FISH
Citation:
Ankley, G T. APPROACHES TO EXTRAPOLATING EFFECTS OF EDCS ACROSS BIOLOGICAL LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN FISH. Presented at National Ground Water Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, March 19-24, 2003.
Description:
A challenge in ecological risk assessments is to obtain, in a resource-effective manner, information that provides insight both into chemical mode/mechanism of action (MOA) and adverse effects in individual animals, which are indicative of potential population-level responses. This requires test systems that enable the effective characterization of toxicological responses across biological levels of organization. To support implementation of a screening and testing program for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a short-term fathead minnow reproduction assay was developed (Ankley et al. 2001; Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 20:1276), which features an integrated assessment of biological endpoints relevant to recruitment (e.g., fecundity, fertility, development), linked to a suite of endpoints reflective of toxic (endocrine-related) mechanisms of concern. In this talk, I will present data sets from the fathead minnow assay generated for three EDCs with differing MOA (methoxychlor, trenbolone, fadrozole) to demonstrate documentation of effects across levels of organization, and illustrate how this information is of utility to both screening-level and higher-tier risk assessments. This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.
Biography: Dr. Gerald Ankley has been a Research Toxicologist with the Environmental Protection Agency for 15 years. Over the past 5 years his research has focused on the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in wildlife. He has published numerous papers on EDCs and has lectured on the topic throughout the world.