Effects of 3,3{prime},4,4{prime},5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), or an extract derived from field-collected cormorant eggs injected into double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) eggs

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1897/1551-5028(1997)016<1450:EOPPTP>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:514577

Powell, D C; Aulerich, R J; Powell, J F; Restum, J C; Giesy, J P; Bursian, S J ^[1]; Meadows, J C; Tillitt, D E ^[2]; Stromborg, K L ^[3]

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1. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
2. National Biological Service, Columbia, MO (United States). Midwest Science Center
3. Fish and Wildlife Service, Green Bay, WI (United States)

Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) eggs were injected with either 3,3{prime},4,4{prime},5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), or an extract derived from field-collected double-crested cormorant eggs. These compounds were injected into the yolks of cormorant eggs from an isolated colony on Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba, Canada. Upon hatching, chicks were necropsied. The brain, bursa, heart, liver, and spleen were removed and weighed. An approximate median lethal dose (LD50) of 158 {micro}g/kg egg was determined for PCB 126, which is 69 times greater than the LD50 determined for the chicken (Gallus domesticus) in a previous study. A significantly greater mortality occurred at the highest dose of TCDD when compared to the vehicle control. However, the mortality data did not provide sufficient information for the determination of an LD50. The cormorant egg extract did not adversely affect hatchability. No significant increases were observed in the incidence of developmental abnormalities, including pronounced edema, in any of the treatment groups, nor were there any relevant effects on body and organ weights. Based on the results from this study, the cormorant appears to be considerably less sensitive to polyhalogenated diaromatic hydrocarbons than the chicken, which has been the typical species used for egg injection studies.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 514577
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 16, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
WATER POLLUTION
FOOD CHAINS
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
DIOXIN
BIRDS
TOXICITY
LAKES
MANITOBA
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION