Sensitivity of fish embryos to weathered crude oil: part 1. Low-level exposure during incubation causes malformations, genetic damage, and mortality in larval Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi)

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and chemistry Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 481 - 493
• Main Authors: Carls, M G, Rice, S D, Hose, JE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1999
• ISSN: 0730-7268

Pacific herring eggs, exposed for 16 d to weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil, displayed malformations, genetic damage, mortality and decreased size and inhibited swimming from exposure to 0.7 ppb concentrations of PAH. PAH concentrations as low as 0.4 ppb caused sublethal responses such as yolk sac oedema and immaturity consistent with premature hatching. Oil with lower proportions of high molecular weight PAH gave similar responses parallel to those of more weathered oil. The methods used simulated conditions observed in Prince William Sound (PWS) following the Exxon Valdez oil spill giving effects identical to those observed in embryolarval herring from PWS. There are 49 references. (See also following abstract).