Reproductive Steroid Responses in Fish Exposed to Pulp Mill Condensates: An Investigation of Cause Case Study

Abstract

An investigation of cause (IOC) approach integrating artificial stream exposures and laboratory bioassays has been used to identify waste stream sources of contaminants at the Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd. mill, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Chemical recovery condensates have shown the greatest potential for reducing circulating steroids in mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), an endemic fish species. A solid phase extraction (SPE) technique was developed to isolate hormonally active substances from the condensates, and a toxicity identification evaluation approach was used to gain a better understanding of the chemical characteristics of the active substances. Extracts were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the fractions were used in a seven-day bioassay. Dose-response experiments indicated that steroid reductions in male mummichog were observed consistently after a 4% (vol/vol) exposure. At 4% (vol/vol), however, steroid reductions were not observed in fractions of the active SPE extract generated by HPLC. Some fractions actually induced increases in plasma testosterone. Recent work has focused on understanding what methodologies must be used to handle the semivolatile condensates to ensure 100% chemical recovery and retention of biological activity. Results are summarized in the context of developing an industry-wide IOC framework.

Isolation and Identification of Ligands for the Goldfish Testis Androgen Receptor in Chemical Recovery Condensates from a Canadian Bleached Kraft Pulp and Paper Mill

“…This information is consistent with the body of evidence suggesting that endocrine disruptors in mill effluents originate from the wood source, rather than being derived from pulp, bleaching, or treatment processes [reviewed in refs 19 and 20]. The linkage with steroid depressions 23 and known high BOD of condensates 26 is further support of the findings associating BOD to the AR reported in a survey of four Canadian, two New Zealand, and five Brazilian mills. 35 Final effluent BOD has also been associated with other effects on fish reproduction.…”

Genotoxicity and toxicity evaluations of ECF cellulose bleaching effluents using the Allium cepa L. Test

“…Examples of this type of contamination are given by various authors (Grant, 1982;Blavk and Bauman, 1991;Garcia et al 1995;Bowron et al, 2009;Diniz et al, 2010;MacLatchy et al, 2010;Kulshreshtha et al, 2011), who report that the cellulose and paper industry release a large quantity (i.e. metric tons) of chemical agents into aquatic areas.…”

An Adaptive Environmental Effects Monitoring Framework for Assessing the Influences of Liquid Effluents on Benthos, Water, and Sediments in Aquatic Receiving Environments

“…The Canadian EEM program was initiated to determine if regulated concentration limits for effluent parameters (under the Fisheries Act) were adequate to protect fish and fish habitats (Ribey et al 2002;Walker et al 2002Walker et al , 2003. As the pulp and paper mills and metal-mining EEM programs matured, flowcharts and decision trees were constructed to describe the major steps (or tiers) and critical decisions in EEM (e.g., Glozier et al 2002;Ribey et al 2002;Kilgour et al 2005Kilgour et al , 2007, including data interpretation issues McMaster et al 2002;Munkittrick et al 2010) and challenges associated with the investigation of cause (Hewitt et al 2005;MacLatchy et al 2010) and the investigation of solutions .…”

“…These 3 patterns were attributed to (1) the effects of nutrient enrichment or eutrophication, (2) metabolic disruption, and (3) the toxic impacts of 1 or more contaminants (Hewitt et al 2005). Depending on the response pattern, the IOC tier can benefit from controlled laboratory exposures to diluted effluent, detailed chemical analyses, and experimentation to determine the mode of action and dose-response relationships (e.g., Walker et al 2005;MacLatchy et al 2010;Kovacs et al 2011).…”