Embryotoxic effects of environmental chemicals: tests with the South African clawed toad (Xenopus laevis)

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-6513(87)90031-5· OSTI ID:6018401

Dumpert, K

In the course of the investigations reported below, it was shown that p-chloroaniline has a lethal effect on the embryos of Xenopus laevis at a concentration of 100 ppm and is development inhibiting (teratogenic) at concentrations of 1 and 10 ppm, respectively. In the case of aniline, a significant development-inhibiting effect was observed at a concentration as low as 1 ppm. A toxic effect was caused by concentrations between 30 and 40 ppm during embryogenesis and by concentrations above 40 ppm during larval development. A very conspicuous finding was an inhibiting effect of 20 to 40 ppm aniline on pigmentation during embryogenesis and of a concentration as low as 1 ppm on the body size of the young toads. In the case of potassium dichromate, it was possible to barely detect a weak development-inhibiting effect during embryogenesis but no development-retarding effect during larval development. Toxic effects of potassium dichromate occurred during embryogenesis at concentrations of 5 and 7.5 ppm and during the larval development at concentrations above 10 ppm. Sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid at a concentration of 50 ppm was found to have such a strong embryolethal effect that 80% of the eggs showed no cell division at all and the remaining 20% developed to only the bicellular stage. A teratogenic effect of this substance was not observed. Phenol, too, was found to be toxic at a concentration of 50 ppm; in contrast to sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, however, it did not show any lethal effect on the embryos but it did on the tadpoles, mainly in the first stages of larval development. Lower concentrations of phenol (5 and 10 ppm) had a nonsignificant inhibiting effect on the growth of the larvae. A teratogenic effect of phenol was not detected.

• Research Organization: Battelle-Institut e.V., Frankfurt am Main, Germany, F.R.
• OSTI ID: 6018401
• Journal Information: Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.; (United States), Journal Name: Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.; (United States) Vol. 13:3; ISSN EESAD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMINES
AMPHIBIANS
ANILINE
ANIMAL GROWTH
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
DICHROMATES
FROGS
GROWTH
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INHIBITION
ONTOGENESIS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOL
PHENOLS
PIGMENTS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
SULFONIC ACIDS
TERATOGENESIS
TERATOGENS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES