Correlative analysis of heavy metal bioconcentration and genetic damage in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) from a hazardous waste site

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195485· OSTI ID:6848992

Tull-Singleton, S; Kimball, S; McBee, K ^[1]

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1. Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater (United States)

Heavy metals are common constituents of hazardous waste sites and may cause health problems in wildlife and nearby human residents. Previous studies have been conducted on the bioaccumulation/bioconcentration of metals in biological tissue using small mammals. However, there have been few attempts to correlate tissue residues with other physiological or genetic biomarkers. In this study, livers of Peromyscus leucopus (white footed mouse) from a hazardous waste site and a matched reference site were analyzed for the presence of selected metals. The white-footed mouse prefers wooded, brushy habitat. The diet included seeds, nuts, plant material, fungi, and some invertebrates. Waste site animals were obtained from a facility in southcentral Texas, used since the early 1960's as a fire fighting training facility. Until 1980, ignitants used on training structures included refinery waste products. Since then, only diesel fuel has been used. Two sludge retention ponds located on the training school grounds collect run-off such as ignitants, flame retardants, fire-fighting chemicals, and water from the practice structures. Chemical analysis of the ponds indicated presence of a number of compounds including partially combusted hydrocarbons, PCB'S, and several heavy metals. Water extracts from the retention ponds gave positive responses in the Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay and the Bacillus DNA Repair Assay, indicating that compounds present in waste water were mutagenic. Peromyscus trapped around the banks of the retention ponds showed significantly increased levels of somatic metaphase chromosome aberrations. The most likely route of exposure for these animals was through ingestion of soil particles during foraging and grooming. Of metals found at the site, at least four (cadmium, chromium, lead, and zinc) have been shown to induce chromosome aberrations in mammalian cell.

• OSTI ID: 6848992
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 52:5; ISSN 0007-4861
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
METALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
MICE
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
PETROLEUM RESIDUES
POLLUTANTS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
MAMMALS
MUTATIONS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
020600 - Petroleum- Health & Safety
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)