Lethal and sublethal effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on Rana sylvatica tadpoles

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and chemistry Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 168 - 174
• Main Authors: Savage, Wesley K., Quimby, Fred W., DeCaprio, Anthony P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.01.2002; SETAC
• Subjects: Amphibian; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Canada, Quebec, St. Lawrence R. basin; Contamination; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments; Larva - drug effects; New York; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - toxicity; Rana sylvatica; Ranidae; Reptilia. Amphibia; Sublethal effects; Survival; Toxicity Tests; New York; United States; North America; America; USA, New York, St. Lawrence R; Canada, Quebec, St. Lawrence R; Toxicity; Mortality; Amphibia; Salientia; Experimental study; Sediments; Polychlorobiphenyl; Freshwater environment; Locomotion; Vertebrata; Animal activity; Larva; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorocarbon; Rana sylvatica; Development; Marsh; Water pollution; Ranidae; Swimming; Biological accumulation
• ISSN: 0730-7268; 1552-8618
• DOI: 10.1002/etc.5620210124

In static experiments, we exposed tadpoles of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) to sediment collected from a riverine wetland in the St. Lawrence River basin that is highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Significant mortality occurred early in the experiment and was not explained by a simple dose‐dependent relationship. Direct sediment contact resulted in higher tadpole mortality compared with tadpoles suspended in mesh containers above the sediment. Sublethal effects of exposure were also apparent, characterized by behavioral abnormalities, including reduced activity levels and swimming speed, that differed depending on whether tadpoles were in contact with or suspended above the sediment. We demonstrate in this experiment that PCB‐contaminated sediment induced significant mortality and behavioral dysfunction in early development, but the effects on natural populations existing in the contaminated region is not known.