Ecoepidemiology of the effects of pollution on reproduction and survival of early life stages in teleosts

Abstract

Evidence from the field and laboratory has shown that reproduction and early life‐stage survival of several species of teleost fishes have been adversely affected following the release of several classes of synthetic, organic chemicals into the environment. Field studies from many geographic areas over several decades have found associations between exposure to synthetic chemicals in the environment and effects on hatchability, embryological success and larval survival. In more recent research, exposure to sewage treatment and bleached kraft mill effluents has been correlated with changes in reproductive system development and alterations in the endocrine physiology of wild teleost fishes. Loss of fecundity and damage during various stages of development and reproduction have been associated with exposure to endocrine disruptors, including many currently used chemicals. The supporting laboratory studies have confirmed that various wild fish species are sensitive to certain synthetic chemicals at levels of exposure of parts per billion and parts per trillion, concentrations that are biochemically, physiologically, and environmentally relevant. This paper reviews the relevant field and laboratory research, and organizes the studies using the ecoepidemiological criteria of time‐order, strength of association, specificity, consistency on replication, coherence and predictive performance. There is sufficient evidence to conclude that ambient concentrations of synthetic chemicals in some regions are at or above concentrations at which certain species could be affected. The viability of fishery resources must be linked not only to the quantity of habitat but also to the quality of habitat.

Assessment of fish health status in four Swiss rivers showing a decline of brown trout catches

“…Hepatic EROD activity has commonly been employed as a biomarker for exposure to substances binding to the arylhydrocarbon receptor (AhR) such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and persistent polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) such as dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls (Altenburger et al, 2003;Whyte et al;2000;van der Oost et al, 2003). Exposure to PAHs and PHAHs can have adverse consequences on fi sh health and population growth: these xenobiotics are known to adversely affect early life stage survival, development and reproduction of fi sh (Fairbrother et al, 1999;Rolland, 2000;Altenburger et al, 2003).…”

“…Exposure to PAHs and PHAHs can have adverse consequences on fi sh health and population growth: these xenobiotics are known to adversely affect early life stage survival, development and reproduction of fi sh (Fairbrother et al, 1999;Rolland, 2000;Altenburger et al, 2003). At fi eld sites with elevated PAH and/or PHAH contamination, such as the Puget Sound or the Great Lakes in Northern America, increased prevalence of toxicopathic lesions and neoplasms (Myers et al, 1998;Stehr et al; as well as population declines have been reported (Monosson, 1997).…”

“…Adams et al, 1989;Triebskorn et al, 2001;Broeg et al, 2005): 7-ethoxyresorufi n-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was measured to indicate exposure of brown trout to dioxin-like xenobiotics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These contaminants have been involved in several cases of declining fi sh populations (Fairbrother et al, 1999;Rolland, 2000;Whyte et al, 2000;van der Oost et al, 2003). Organ histopathology was examined since histopathological changes integrate the impact of a variety of stressors including pathogens, toxic compounds or unfavourable nutritional and temperature conditions and for this are valuable markers of environmental stress (Hinton et al, 1992;Braunbeck, 1988, 1990;Schmidt-Posthaus et al, 2001;Au, 2004).…”

Need for establishing integrated programs to monitor endocrine active compounds

“…Hill [60], suggested nine epidemiological criteria to be used when a correlation is observed between an exposure and an effect, to help decide whether there is a case for inferring that exposure causes the effect: strength of association, consistency of association, speci-ficity of association, time order, biological gradient/dose-response relation, biological plausibility, coherence, experimental evidence, and analogy. The usefulness and applicability of the weight-of-evidence approach and epidemiological criteria in an ecological context is demonstrated in the review of Rollands [61], upon the effects of pollution on reproduction and survival of early life stages in teleosts. An important step for the success of a monitoring study is the definition of which questions the study is actually supposed to answer and in what detail.…”

Histopathological alterations of gonads in teleosts

“…Όπως έδει ξε στην ανασκόπηση του ο Rolland (2000), πολλές επι βαρυντικές χημικές ουσίες που υπάρχουν στο νερό και ανιχνεύονται στα ώριμα θηλυκά, ανιχνεύονται στη συ νέχεια και στα αβγά τους. Ένας τρόπος για την απο τίμηση της αναπαραγωγικής υγείας των ψαριών είναι μέσω της ποιότητας των ωοκυττάρων που παράγουν.…”