Evaluating the potential of effluent extracts from pulp and paper mills in Canada, Brazil, and New Zealand to affect fish reproduction: Estrogenic effects in fish

Abstract

The authors examined the potential of pulp mill effluent from pulp-producing countries (Canada, Brazil, New Zealand) to affect fish reproduction. Specifically, the estrogenic effects in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) pulse-exposed to 11 different mill effluent extracts (intraperitoneal injections of solid-phase extraction-dichloromethane nonpolar fraction). The results indicated that effluent extracts were estrogenic in juvenile trout irrespective of the gender, as reflected by increasing level of plasma vitellogenin (VTG; Brazil > New Zealand > Canada). Despite the high variability observed among mills, differences in VTG levels were related to the type of mill process (kraft > elementary chlorine-free kraft > thermomechanical pulping). Moreover, effluent treatments did not appear to significantly decrease VTG induction. A consistent estrogenic effect was observed in those mills that process a combination of feedstocks (softwood and hardwood), with the highest increase in VTG related to eucalyptus feedstock. The results demonstrate significant estrogenic effects of pulp mill effluents on chronically exposed juvenile trout, suggesting that in vivo metabolic activation of precursors is necessary to cause the observed increases in VTG levels. This molecular estrogenic response provides a useful starting point for predicting population-level impacts through the adverse outcome pathway methodology. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1547-1555. © 2016 SETAC.

Endocrine Disruptor Impacts on Fish From Chile: The Influence of Wastewaters

“…An interesting issue raised by our analysis is the difference observed between different sources of EDCs (industrial and urban wastewaters) in the responses in the organisms tested in Chile, in particular for the non-native fish. Research on the impact of Chilean pulp mill effluents indicates an overall estrogenic effect and a negative impact on reproductive function of exposed non-native fish (31), which is consistent with recent results obtained in bioassays carried out with effluents from other pulp producing countries such as Brazil, New Zealand, and Canada (74,75). Results included induced activity of the CYP19arom enzyme, responsible for the transformation of androgenic compounds into estrogens through aromatization (31), exerting a final estrogenic effect in non-native fish.…”

“…It is necessary to understand that fish are constantly subjected to environmental stress (21,22) before planning EDC effect studies, including changes in temperature, hypoxia, sediment loads, flow rate, among others. To understand and to have the ability to extrapolate the effects observed in the individual organism with a chemical or mixture of chemicals having endocrine disruptive properties, cellular and physiological seasonal variations associated with changes in metabolic rates and fish reproductive status must be taken into consideration when evaluating the impacts on individuals and populations (9,21,33,(66)(67)(68)(69)(70)(71)(72)(73)(74)(75)(76)(77)(78)80).…”

A 30-Year Study of Impacts, Recovery, and Development of Critical Effect Sizes for Endocrine Disruption in White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii) Exposed to Bleached-Kraft Pulp Mill Effluent at Jackfish Bay, Ontario, Canada

“…( 89 ) continued to see a significant decrease in E2, T and vitellogenin gene expression in female roach ( Rutilis rutilis ) with an increase of E2 and decrease in T in male roach exposed to BKME in Lake Saimaa, Finland after the mill switched to be ECF. Estrogenic effects were also observed in both laboratory and in situ rainbow trout caging studies conducted downstream of ECF pulp mills in Chile ( 72 ) and in juvenile rainbow trout exposed to mill effluent extracts from Canada, Brazil and New Zealand exposed via intraperitoneal injections of a solid-phase extraction–dichloromethane nonpolar fraction ( 73 ). As well, both estrogenic and androgenic affects were observed in wild fish caught downstream of ECF mills in the Biobio River Basin in Chile ( 74 ).…”

“…Further studies provide evidence that pulp and paper mill effluent impairs expression of reproduction-related genes ( 70 ), and contain neuroactive substances that interact with several neurotransmitter receptors (such as the dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamate, and acetylcholine receptors) and enzymes important in regulating reproduction ( 71 ). Effluents have also been shown to have both estrogenic ( 72 , 73 ) and androgenic effects ( 74 ).…”

Sex‐Related Embryotoxicity of Pulp Mill Effluent Extracts in Medaka (Oryzias latipes) Female Leucophore‐free FLFII Strain

“…However, the related causes and mechanisms involved in these effects remain controversial and highly variable. Indeed, our recent research has shown that effluent causing in vitro androgenic effects could also exert estrogenic effects after metabolic activation in adult fish (Orrego et al 2017). A series of bioactive compounds such as resin acids (e.g., iso‐pimaric, abietic, dehydroabietic), phytosterols (e.g., beta‐sitosterol, stigmasterol), phenolics, and diterpenes, among others (Orrego et al 2009; Scott et al 2011; Milestone et al 2012) persist following secondary treatment of mill effluents.…”