Toxicological investigations of pollutant-related effects in Great Lakes gulls
Reproductive failure of a number of fish-eating birds was observed on the Great Lakes in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. The herring gull (Larus argentatus) has been used as the primary monitoring species. The low hatching success observed in this species on Lake Ontario in the mid-1970s was due to loss of eggs and failure of eggs to hatch. Egg exchange experiments demonstrated that this was due both to the incubation behavior of adults and to direct embryotoxic effects. Decrease of nest attentiveness was demonstrated using telemetered eggs, but attempts to reproduce the embryonic effects by injection of pollutant mixtures into eggs were not successful. Reproductive success improved rapidly during the late 1970s and was normal by the end of the decade. Recent studies have focused on cytogenetic and biochemical changes and detailed analytic chemistry of residues. No changes in the rate of sister chromatid exchange over values determined in coastal colonies were observed. Elevation of hepatic aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity, levels of highly carboxylated porphyrins, and changes of thyroid function have been found. The geographic pattern of these changes indicates that they are caused by xenobiotics, but it has been possible to relate the changes to a specific chemical.
- Research Organization:
- National Wildlife Research Center, Ottawa, Ontario
- OSTI ID:
- 6514147
- Journal Information:
- Environ. Health Perspect.; (United States), Vol. 71
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mutagenicity studies on herring gulls from different locations on the Great Lakes. I. Sister chromatid exchange rates in herring-gull embryos
Mutagenicity studies on herring gulls from different locations on the Great Lakes. II. Mutagenic evaluation of extracts of herring-gull eggs in a battery of in vitro mammalian and microbial tests
Related Subjects
BIRDS
PHYSIOLOGY
REPRODUCTION
XENOBIOTICS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
EGGS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
HYDROXYLASES
LAKE ONTARIO
PORPHYRINS
SISTER CHROMATID EXCHANGES
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
ENZYMES
GREAT LAKES
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LAKES
MUTATIONS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology