Environmental carcinogenesis studies in fishes of the Great Lakes of North America

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5339585

Sonstegard, R A

We report investigations conducted during 1973 to 1976 in which we surveyed fishes and their associated neoplasms that inhabit this lake system, with particular reference to polluted and nonpolluted waters. Through this approach, we have explored the potential utility of monitoring neoplasms in feral fishes as sentinel animals for the early detection of waterborne carcinogens. The lakes were surveyed by gill netting, with particular consideration given to coarse fishes, which have a wide geographic distribution in the lake system. Coarse fish were monitored inasmuch as they could be taken in numbers without aesthetic violation to sports fisheries and because they are often the only fishes that inhabit waters that receive heavily polluted effluents from the large urban and industrial centers on the lakes. The survey (more than 50,000 fish were captured and necropsied) was made with particular reference to adult fish, inashmuch as their larger size facilitated field necropsies and due to the fact that they would have received longterm exposure to environmental factors present. We detected epizootics of gonadal tumors in carp, goldfish, and carp x goldfish hybrids and papillomas in white suckers that appear to have environmental relevance and are therefore discussed in this paper.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Guelph, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5339585
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.; (United States) Journal Volume: 298
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARCINOGENESIS
CARCINOGENS
CONTAMINATION
DISEASES
FISHES
GONADS
GREAT LAKES
LAKES
MONITORING
NEOPLASMS
PATHOGENESIS
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION