EROD activity in thermally-acclimated gizzard shad -- What do the differences mean?

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:452046

Rodgers, D W ^[1]; Munkittrick, K R ^[2]

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1. Ontario Hydro Technologies, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
2. Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario (Canada)

The authors examined liver EROD activity in gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum, following a diesel spill at Bruce Nuclear Generating Station A. The spill occurred in late December 1995 through early January 1996, at which time gizzard shad are thermally captive in the heated discharge. Further, the nearby discharge of Bruce Nuclear Generating Station B provided a control. Fish were collected and livers sampled within two weeks of the spill and at roughly seven weeks after the spill. At both times, significant differences in EROD were apparent between collection sites; however, the higher activity was consistently observed at the control site. The authors are unable to identify a source of induction at the control site or to explain the differences in EROD activity between sites, although there were slight but consistent differences in the size of fish and water temperatures at the two sites. They are also examining liver antioxidant activity in these fish. Clearly, use of EROD activity in interpreting the potential effects of oil spill on gizzard shad will have to be held in abeyance pending further understanding of the biology of these fish and in particular the confounding effects of winter acclimation to a thermal discharge.

• OSTI ID: 452046
• Report Number(s): CONF-961149--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MARKERS
BRUCE-1 REACTOR
DIESEL FUELS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
FISHES
OIL SPILLS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
THERMAL EFFLUENTS