Exposure to the water soluble fraction of crude oil or to naphthalenes alters breathing rates in Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01607510· OSTI ID:6842047

Russell, L C; Fingerman, M

Alteration in breathing rate has been used to monitor the effects of pollutants on fishes. Particularly pertinent to the study described herein are the observations that the water soluble fractions (WSF) from Cook Inlet crude oil, Prudhoe Bay crude oil and No. 2 fuel oil increased the breathing rate of pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, fry. However, possible underlying neurological mechanisms for this response have not been identified. Pollutant-induced changes in a fish's breathing rate may indicate neurochemical imbalances in the brain. Exposure of the longnose killifish, Fundulus similis, to the WSF of petroleum resulted in accumulation of naphthalenes from this WSF in high levels in the brain. Various organic compounds have been found to ultimately produce reductions in the whole brain concentration of dopamine in fishes. In view of these effects of various pollutants on breathing rate and the brain dopamine level in fishes, experiments were performed to determine the effects of (a) the WSF of South Louisiana crude oil, (b) two of its most toxic components (naphthalene and 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene) and (c) the dopamine precursor, L-DOPA, on the breathing rate of Fundulus grandis. These experiments would not only reveal whether the WSF and naphthalenes affect the breathing rate but also whether it might be affected by the dopamine concentration in the fish.

• Research Organization: Tulane Univ., New Orleans, LA
• OSTI ID: 6842047
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 32:3; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
560305 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMINES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BREATH
CARDIOTONICS
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DOPAMINE
DRUGS
ENERGY SOURCES
FISHES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
NAPHTHALENE
NEUROREGULATORS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
VERTEBRATES