Mechanisms by which acid precipitation produces embryonic death in aquatic vertebrates. Technical completion report, 1 May 1977-31 December 1980
Fourteen species of amphibians show a general similarity in their tolerance of acid media during embryonic development. More than 85% mortality is produced by pHs of 3.7 to 3.9 and more than 50% mortality occurs at pHs of 4.0 or less. Similar values have been reported for fishes. The sensitivity of amphibian embryos to acidity is greater in late stages of their development than it is during the initial cleavage of the embryos. The teratogenic effects of acidity appear to be the result of damage to the superficial tissues of the embryo. A similar response occurs in fish embryos. Because of the similarity of sensitivity and response to acidity of fishes and amphibians, the latter animals are suitable experimental models for investigations of the details of acid resistance. Controlled breedings of African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) indicated that the offspring of some pairs of parents were more resistant to acidity than those of other pairs. Wild populations of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) breeding in some ponds in the Ithaca, New York, region have probably been exposed to increasingly acid conditions for the past three decades (10 or more generations). In the most acid ponds more than 70% of the embryos die before hatching. Despite the intensity and duration of this selection, it was not possible to demonstrate any difference in sensitivity to acidity between eggs collected from acidic and neutral breeding sites.
- Research Organization:
- Controle-Radioprotection, Mol (Belgium)
- OSTI ID:
- 5868992
- Report Number(s):
- PB-81-198392
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
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.
ACID RAIN
AMPHIBIANS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
EMBRYOS
FISHES
FRESH WATER
FROGS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAKES
MORTALITY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
PONDS
RAIN
SENSITIVITY
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION