Tributyltin exposure in early life stages induces the development of male sexual characteristics in the common whelk, Buccinum undatum

Mensink, B.P.; Everaarts, J.M.; Kralt, Hans; Hallers-Tjabbes, Cato C. ten; Boon, Jan P.

doi:10.1016/0141-1136(95)00041-0

Cited by 42 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Since the development of imposex in gastropods is related to cumulative exposure to tributyltin (TBT) and related chemical compounds (e.g. Smith 1971, Gibbs et al 1987, Bryan & Gibbs 1991, Mensink et al 1996, Oberdorster & McClellan-Green 2002, Stickle & Zhang 2003, it is possible that female whelks are younger than imposex female whelks and have thus been exposed to environmental sources of TBT for less time. TBT is a documented environmental pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay (Unger et al 1986, Bryan et al 1989, Huggett et al 1996, and concentrations between 1 and 100 ng l -1 (Unger et al 1986, Huggett et al 1996.edu/ env/projects/tbt_deq/index.html) have been observed in the regions where rapa whelks have been collected (Harding & Mann 1999 and this paper).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of imposex and seasonal patterns of gametogenesis in the invading veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa from Chesapeake Bay, USA

Mann¹,

Harding²,

Westcott³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The prevalence and intensity of imposex and observations on the seasonal gametogenic cycle are reported for the Asian veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846), an invader of the Chesapeake Bay on the North American Atlantic coast. Adult whelks from opportunistic collections by commercial fishermen demonstrated inactivity from mid-November through early March, copulation from February through mid-November, and egg-laying activity from late May through August. All imposex females examined did not have a functional vas deferens (below Stage 3 on the vas deferens scale of Gibbs et al. 1987; J Mar Biol Assoc UK 67:507-523) and were expected to function normally in reproduction. Although a preponderance of imposex females over 'normal' females by a ratio exceeding 2:1 was observed in 4 out of 5 regions examined in lower Chesapeake Bay, there was no significant difference in the numbers of functional females (imposex females and normal females) observed in any region. Shell lengths and wet tissue weights (g) of both imposex females and males were approximately the same and sexual dimorphism was not apparent at the population level. However, true female rapa whelks had lower wet tissue weights than either imposex females or males. Individual rapa whelks did not appear to be food-limited in the Chesapeake Bay, and the described reproductive activity suggests continued invasion within Chesapeake Bay habitats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of imposex and seasonal patterns of gametogenesis in the invading veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa from Chesapeake Bay, USA

Mann¹,

Harding²,

Westcott³

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Nucella lapillus), is specifically sensitive to triorganotin compounds such as tributyltin (TBT) and tripentyltin (TPT) (Stroben 1994, Mensink et al 1996b. Since the distribution area of B. undaturn ranges from the lower intertidal zone to the deep-water zone the snails are considered as suitable invertebrates for the monitoring of long-term effects caused by TBT-containing biocides (ten Hallers-Tjabbes 1979, Gibbs & Bryan 1986, ten HallersTjabbes et al 1994, 1996.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation of organotin compounds in the common whelk Buccinum undatum and the red whelk Neptunea antiqua in association with imposex

Ide¹,

Witten²,

Fischer³

et al. 1997

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Several species of the subclass Prosobranchia are considered to be suitable organisms for monitoring long-term effects of triorganotin (TOT) compounds. This study utilized Buccinum undatum and Neptunea antiqua from the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Morphological alterations in the genital system (imposex phenomena), the histolog~cal structure of the gut, and the gonads were studied. TOT concentrations in soft body tissue and shells were determined. Females of both species displayed imposes phenomena (pseudohermaphroditism) The percentage of altered females per station ranged from 0 to 90% in B. undatum and from 0 to 2 9 % in N. antiqua. Imposes index values in B undatum reached 1.09 near Helgoland and 0.86 in N. antiqua sampled at 25 nautical miles from the Scottish northeast coast. Organotin compounds were detected in the soft bodies of snails from all stations. A chl-square analysis revealed a significant correlation between imposex stages and TOT concentrations in B. undaturn but not in N. antiqua. Tributyltin (TBT) in B. undatum ranged from 1.0 to 15.9 ng g-I wet weight (Irish east coast). TBT concentrations in N. antiqua were higher and ranged from 2.2 to 25.7 n g g-l In both species, organotin compounds in the shells were below detection limits Despite high TBT concentrations in soft tissues and the occurrence of imposex (offshore and inshore), female gonads were in good shape and no signs of limited reproductive capacity were found. Histolog~cal findings indicate that TBT does not contribute considerably to mortality in the common whelk.

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“…Functional sex change of gastropod induced by organotins, however, has not been directly demonstrated at any developmental stage. Juvenile Buccinum undatum exposed to TBT, just after hatching, showed a dosedependent proportion of the young developing male sexual characters (Mensink et al, 1996), but no follow up study has been reported to ascertain whether the functional sex ratio is altered. Gibbs et al (1988) recorded suppression of oogenesis and production of sperm in female N. lapillus raised from hatched juveniles under the influence of TBT.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological risk assessments of endocrine disrupting organotin compounds using marine neogastropods in Hong Kong

Leung

Kwong

et al. 2006

Chemosphere

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As active ingredients of anti-fouling paints that are widely used on ship hulls, organotin compounds, in particular tributyltin (TBT), are well-known endocrine disruptors causing sex changes in marine organisms and widespread in coastal waters and sediments worldwide. In this study, a comprehensive ecological risk assessment (ERA) of organotins was conducted in Hong Kong waters through determining the imposex status, sex ratio and tissue burdens of these compounds in the neogastropods, Thais clavigera and Thais luteostoma collected from 29 coastal sites. We also investigated the historical trend of organotin effects on these gastropods, and performed a probabilistic ERA based on tissue burden of TBT in the animals. Our results demonstrated that imposex indices were positively correlated with the body burden of organotins in the gastropods. Across all sites, the sex ratio (female:male) decreased significantly with increasing imposex levels or tissue burden of organotins, implying that such pollutants can result in a male-biased population, potentially leading to local extinction in extreme cases. Based on the ERA, 5.4% of all populations of T. clavigera are at risk due to exposure to TBT; the risks include growth inhibition, impairment of immune functions and reduced fitness. Seriously impacted areas included Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, Butterfly Beach, Mui Wo and Ha Mei Wan. A comparison with historical data revealed that there had been some improvement in the areas with low marine traffic, and distant from the major harbour/port. This could partly be due to the restriction on the use of TBT on small vessels (<25 m in length) since 1992. Nevertheless, the organotin contamination still remains severe in areas with high marine traffic or adjacent to large harbours/ports. In particular, the situation in the northeastern waters of Hong Kong has been getting worst since 1996 that is probably associated with the rapid development of the cargo container port at Yantian in China.

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Tributyltin exposure in early life stages induces the development of male sexual characteristics in the common whelk, Buccinum undatum

Cited by 42 publications

References 5 publications

Occurrence of imposex and seasonal patterns of gametogenesis in the invading veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa from Chesapeake Bay, USA

Occurrence of imposex and seasonal patterns of gametogenesis in the invading veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa from Chesapeake Bay, USA

Accumulation of organotin compounds in the common whelk Buccinum undatum and the red whelk Neptunea antiqua in association with imposex

Ecological risk assessments of endocrine disrupting organotin compounds using marine neogastropods in Hong Kong

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