Reward reductions found more aversive by rats fed environmentally contaminated salmon

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Neurotoxicology and Teratology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-0362(91)90094-D· OSTI ID:6164559

Daly, H B ^[1]

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1. Department of Psychology, State University of New York College, Oswego (United States)

Pacific salmon stocked in Lake Ontario concentrate persistent toxic chemicals such as PCBs, DDT, DDE, mercury and dioxin. The present experiments support earlier findings that consumption of these salmon by laboratory rats increases their behavioral reactions to negative events. For 20 days rats were fed a diet consisting of 30% Lake Ontario salmon or a control diet of Pacific Ocean salmon or no salmon. They were then trained to run down an alley to receive a large 15-pellet or small 1-pellet food reward (6 trials/day). Following 72 trials the 15-pellet groups were shifted to 1 pellet for 90 trials, and showed a contrast (depression) effect: they ran more slowly than the groups always given 1 pellet. Rats previously fed Lake Ontario salmon showed a much larger contrast effect than the two control groups. These results were replicated in a second experiment, and a group fed a 10% diet of Lake Ontario salmon for 60 days showed the same size contrast effect as the group fed a 30% diet for 20 days.

• OSTI ID: 6164559
• Journal Information: Neurotoxicology and Teratology; (United States), Journal Name: Neurotoxicology and Teratology; (United States) Vol. 13:4; ISSN 0892-0362; ISSN NETEE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANADROMOUS FISHES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
DDT
DIOXIN
ELEMENTS
FISHES
FOOD CHAINS
GREAT LAKES
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INSECTICIDES
LAKE ONTARIO
LAKES
MAMMALS
MERCURY
METALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PESTICIDES
POLLUTION
RATS
RODENTS
SALMON
SURFACE WATERS
TOXICITY
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION