Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris

Ward, C K; Mendonca, M T

doi:10.1007/s00244-005-0189-2

Title: Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris

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Abstract

More than 50% of the electricity in the United States is produced by coal-burning power plants. The byproduct of coal-burning plants is coal fly ash, which contains increased concentrations of trace metals and is disposed of in collection basins. Southern toads (Bufo terrestris) frequently use these basins for reproduction. Male toads were collected in spring 2001 and 2002 from an ash basin and a reference site and divided into four groups: toads collected at the control site and maintained on (1) control substrate and food or (2) ash and contaminated food and toads collected at the ash site and maintained in (3) control or (4) ash conditions. Blood was collected periodically during 5 months to determine testosterone and corticosterone concentrations. Reference to ash toads exhibited a significant, transient increase in corticosterone at 4 weeks, but neither corticosterone nor testosterone continued to increase beyond this time. In contrast, toads caught and maintained on ash did not exhibit increased corticosterone. Testosterone in these toads appeared to be unrelated to ash exposure. This unexpected lack of a corticosterone response and no effect on testosterone suggests that toads chronically exposed to trace metals can acclimate to a polluted environment, but they may still experiencemore » subtle long-term consequences.« less

Authors:

Ward, C K; Mendonca, M T ^[1]

Auburn University, Montgomery, AL (United States). Dept. of Biology

Publication Date:: Tue Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI Identifier:: 20772522

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 51; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0090-4341

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; FLY ASH; COAL; FROGS; AMPHIBIANS; SETTLING PONDS; HORMONES; TRACE AMOUNTS; METALS; WATER POLLUTION; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; CHRONIC EXPOSURE

Citation Formats


                    Ward, C K, and Mendonca, M T. Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris.  United States: N. p., 2006. 
        Web.  doi:10.1007/s00244-005-0189-2.

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                    Ward, C K, & Mendonca, M T. Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0189-2

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                    Ward, C K, and Mendonca, M T. 2006.  
        "Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0189-2.

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@article{osti_20772522,

  title        = {Chronic exposure to coal fly ash causes minimal changes in corticosterone and testosterone concentrations in male southern toads Bufo terrestris},

  author       = {Ward, C K and Mendonca, M T},

  abstractNote = {More than 50% of the electricity in the United States is produced by coal-burning power plants. The byproduct of coal-burning plants is coal fly ash, which contains increased concentrations of trace metals and is disposed of in collection basins. Southern toads (Bufo terrestris) frequently use these basins for reproduction. Male toads were collected in spring 2001 and 2002 from an ash basin and a reference site and divided into four groups: toads collected at the control site and maintained on (1) control substrate and food or (2) ash and contaminated food and toads collected at the ash site and maintained in (3) control or (4) ash conditions. Blood was collected periodically during 5 months to determine testosterone and corticosterone concentrations. Reference to ash toads exhibited a significant, transient increase in corticosterone at 4 weeks, but neither corticosterone nor testosterone continued to increase beyond this time. In contrast, toads caught and maintained on ash did not exhibit increased corticosterone. Testosterone in these toads appeared to be unrelated to ash exposure. This unexpected lack of a corticosterone response and no effect on testosterone suggests that toads chronically exposed to trace metals can acclimate to a polluted environment, but they may still experience subtle long-term consequences.},

  doi          = {10.1007/s00244-005-0189-2},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20772522},
  journal      = {Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology},

  issn         = {0090-4341},

  number       = 2,

  volume       = 51,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006},

  month        = {Tue Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006}

}

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