The introduction of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) to aquatic systems has impacted development and reproductive health of fish in many regions of the world. This study investigated western mosquitofish in the bayou systems of Harris County, Texas for evidence of morphological and reproductive abnormalities. Mosquitofish were sampled above and below WWTPs on five streams during May and August 2010, and specimens were dissected and analyzed for reproductive (egg/embryo weight, embryo/egg number and embryos staging), morphological (liver and gonad weight, body length, gonadosomatic index and hepatosomatic index) and histological indicator variables. In addition, water samples were analyzed for concentrations of PPCPs. Spatial and temporal variation was observed among all indicator variables, however no consistent differences were found above versus below WWTP discharges. Histopathology showed no evidence of lesions or presence of intersex individuals. Chemical analysis revealed a variety of pharmaceuticals and anthropogenic chemicals present in the Houston area waterways, however all were at concentrations lower than those known to cause impacts to fishes. These results suggest that the current concentrations of chemicals being discharged from WWTPs into headwater reaches of streams in the suburban area of west Houston are below levels that impact the physiology of male and female mosquitofish.

Turfgrass settings, including lawns, golf courses, and sports fields, support many beneficial invertebrates that provide important ecosystem services. These non-target organisms and their associated predation, decomposition, and pollination services can be disrupted by the use of certain insecticides. I compared the ecotoxicity of representatives from three major turf insecticide groups, the neonicotinoids, premix formulations, and the anthranilic diamides, in lab and field realistic settings in order to inform industry initiatives towards environmental sustainability. In lab and field bioassays clothianidin, a neonicotinoid, and a premix clothianidin/pyrethroid spray were acutely toxic to beneficial insects. Populations of predators, springtails, and earthworms, as well as parasitism, predation, and decomposition rates were all reduced. In contrast, chlorantraniliprole, a novel anthranilic diamide with a similar spectrum of pests controlled, had no apparent impact on natural enemies, decomposers, or ecosystem services. This newer class is a good fit for industry initiatives to use relatively less toxic pesticides, with the caveat that golf course superintendents may see secondary pest outbreaks of ants and earthworms. Bumble bee colonies exposed to clothianidin-treated white clover for two weeks suffered acute effects including increased mortality of workers and decreases in the number of honeypots constructed in the hive. When hives were exposed to clothianidin treated clover for six days and then allowed to develop naturally over six weeks they exhibited delayed weight gain and produced no new queens. Colonies exposed to chlorantraniliprole-treated flowers suffered no observable adverse effects. When treated blooms were mowed, colonies exposed to newly-formed blooms exhibited no ill effects. After a single mowing neonicotinoid residues in clover nectar were reduced from > 2000 ng/g, to < 10 ng/g. Residues of imidacloprid were also short-lived in guttation water. Some 50 species of bees and other pollinators were collected from flowering white clover and dandelions in lawns across an urbanization gradient. Such weeds, an underappreciated resource for urban bees, could play a role in pollinator conservation if tolerated and not over-sprayed with broad-spectrum insecticides. Informing the public about the potential benefits these weeds could have for pollinators may help lead to more environmentally conscious management decisions.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Drexel University, 2010. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-176).

1) Metallothioneins (MTs) are frequently proposed as biomarkers for metal exposure and toxicity in molluscs. However, various biotic and abiotic factors influencing the rate of MT synthesis, are not well understood. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effects of biotic factors (size, sex, growth rate, nutritional state, prey type) and abiotic factors (temperature, Cd or oxidative exposure) on MT induction in Nucella lapillus and Littorina littorea, and to evaluate the usefulness of applying MT as a monitoring tool. In this study, total MTs in tissue samples were quantified using the silver saturation method. 2) Induction of MT was monitored in N. lapillus during and after exposure to Cd. N. lapillus were exposed to 500 μg Cd 1-1 (2.2% of 96h LC50) for 60 d and then placed into clean seawater for 110 d. The concentration of MT in the whole animal increased during the exposure period, peaked at Day 70, and then declined gradually. The half-life of MT was ca. 40 d. Cd concentration increased throughout the period of exposure and while in clean seawater, levelling off only after Day 120, indicating that Cd concentration could not be regulated by N. lapillus. Highest MT induction and Cd accumulation were found in the Leiblein gland of N. lapillus, suggesting that measurement of MT induction in this tissue may prove useful as a sublethal biological response to Cd contamination. 3) The combined effects of Cd and water temperature on the oxygen consumption rate (MO2) and biochemistry of fasted N. lapillus were investigated. Inhibition of MO2 by Cd increased with increasing temperature and decreasing animal size. Cd exposure caused significant reductions in glycogen concentrations in N. lapillus at both temperatures (5 & 10°C). Cd-exposed N. lapillus showed significantly higher MT concentrations in the Leiblein gland at 10°C but not at 5°C, indicating that MT synthesis is temperature dependent. Reduction in MO2 may be directly linked to Cd-induced mucus production, structural damage to gills and reduction in oxygen carrying capacity of haemocyanin. However, metabolic depression, including low MO2, glycogen stores and activity in Cd-exposed N. lapillus, may be a strategy to minimise the uptake and toxicity of Cd, and energy expenditure to spare energy reserves for detoxification and maintenance. 4) The influences of nutritional state and prey type on the survival, growth, Cd accumulation, MT induction and glycogen stores in N. lapillus were studied. Prolonged starvation and Cd exposure synergistically reduced the survivorship of N. lapillus, but feeding could help N. lapillus to combat Cd toxicity and minimise mortality. Extended fasting also caused tissue wastage, leading to higher concentrations of Cd and MT in tissues, whereas fed animals increased in weight and had lower Cd and MT concentrations because of the tissue dilution effect. Prey type significantly affected growth rate of N. lapillus and indirectly influenced Cd accumulation, MT induction and glycogen stores. Eating mussels promoted better growth and higher glycogen reserves them eating barnacles. Individual growth rate decreased with increasing Cd accumulation. Cd-exposed survivors grew faster and consumed more than control animals, implying that these survivors may have better fitness and greater tolerance to Cd toxicity. 5) Investigation of the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and the combined effect of H2O2 and Cd on MT induction and condition index (CI) in N. lapillus was conducted. Exposure to either Cd or H2O2 alone induced synthesis of MT or MT-like proteins in N. lapillus. Exposure to high H2O2 (1000 ppm) alone or combined with Cd, and exposure to Cd (0.50 ppm) or H2O2 (2.0 ppm), resulted in significant weight loss, indicated by a reduction of CL However, CIs of N. lapillus exposed to 0.5 ppm Cd + 2.0 ppm H2O2 or 0.25 ppm Cd + 2.0 ppm H2O2, were similar to that of the control suggesting that Cd antagonistically reduces toxicity caused by H2O2 since Cd-induced MT may have a protective function against hydroxyl radicals.

O mexilhão marrom Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) auxilia no monitoramento de compostos químicos em ecossistemas marinhos. No entanto, os mecanismos moleculares de detoxificação e resposta ao estresse são desconhecidos. Elucidar esses mecanismos é crucial para entender os efeitos tóxicos dos poluentes químicos e desenvolver biomarcadores para avaliar a qualidade ambiental dos ecossistemas marinhos. No presente estudo, indivíduos da espécie P. perna foram expostos a antraceno (ANT) e os RNAs mensageiros (mRNA) das brânquias foram sequenciados com a plataforma Illumina. A análise química do tecido mole dos animais identificou concentrações de ANT 268 a 715 vezes mais alta no grupo exposto comparado ao grupo controle, demonstrando que a exposição foi realizada com sucesso. O sequenciamento do transcritoma do P. perna gerou 273.152.390 pares de reads, resultando na montagem de 231.728 contigs com tamanho médio de 720 pb e N50 de 1.083 pb, os quais 66.563 contigs (28,7%) pode ser anotado utilizando banco de dados como GenBank, Pfam, Gene Ontology e KEGG. Os resultados obtidos a partir da anotação funcional sugerem que as brânquias tenham papel na biotransformação de xenobióticos, resposta antioxidante, sinalização, resposta imunológica inata, e osmorregulação. Foi possível identificar genes de biotransformação de fase I, II e III, incluindo CYPs e GSTs. Transcritos similares a CYPs e GSTs estavam sendo expressos no grupo exposto, porém nenhum deles foram classificados como diferencialmente expressos. Contudo, muitos genes hipotéticos foram diferencialmente expressos, o que sugere que P. perna utilize mecanismos desconhecidos de biotransformação para lidar com a contaminação de ANT. Genes de sistema imune inato foram regulados tanto positivamente quanto negativamente, assim como observado para Perna viridis exposto a benzo(a)pireno, sugerindo que ANT promove alterações da capacidade de resposta do sistema imune inato do P. perna. / The brown mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) helps the monitoring of chemical compounds in marine ecosystems. However its molecular mechanisms of detoxification and stress response remain unclear. Elucidating these mechanisms is crucial to understand the toxic effects of chemical pollutants and to develop biomarkers to assess marine ecosystems. In this study, P. perna individuals were exposed to anthracene (ANT) and its mRNA complement was sampled sequenced with Illumina technology. Chemical analysis of the soft tissue identified ANT concentrations 268 - 715 fold higher in the exposed group compared to controls, demonstrating that the exposure procedure was successfully accomplished. Transcriptome sequencing of P. perna generated 273.152.390 paired reads that were assembled in 231.728 contigs of average length 720 bp and N50 1.083 bp , which 66.563 contigs (28,7%) could be annotated using GenBank genes, Pfam domains, Gene Ontology (GO) terms and KEGG pathways. The results obtained from functional annotation suggest gills play a role in xenobiotics biotransformation, antioxidant response, signal transduction, innate immune response, and osmoregulation. It was possible to identify transcripts similar to genes related with biotransformation reactions of phases I, II and III, including CYPs and GSTs. Transcripts similar to CYPs and GSTs isoforms were highly expressed in the group exposed to ANT, however no CYP, GST, or even other genes related with biotransformation reactions were classified as differentially expressed. On the other hand, several hypothetical genes were differentially expressed, which suggests that P. perna uses unknown mechanisms of biotransformation to deal with ANT stress contamination. Immune related-genes were both up and down-regulated, as was also observed for Perna viridis exposed to benzo(a)pyrene, suggesting that ANT promotes alteration in the immune response of P. perna.

Levando-se em consideração a grande demanda por água e por fim a poluição emergente nos dias de hoje, o gerenciamento dos corpos hídricos deve ser algo constante, com o propósito preventivo e corretivo, sendo o objetivo deste trabalho a análise das condições ecotoxicológicas e limnológicas dos reservatórios Guarapiranga, Billings e Paiva Castro, na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, que é abastecida por tais reservatórios. Foram realizadas duas coletas, sedo uma em Maio de 2011, na estação seca, e outra em Janeiro de 2012, na estação chuvosa. Em cada reservatório foram analisados cinco pontos próximos à captação de água pela SABESP. A água e sedimento foram avaliados quanto à toxicidade aguda e crônica através de bioensaios com os cladóceros Daphnia similis e Ceriodaphnia dubia para a água e D. similis e Chironomus xanthus para o sedimento. O tratamento dos dados ocorreu através dos testes de Dunnett\'s ou Steel\'s Many-one Hank e Kruskal-Wallis (fecundidade / sobrevivência) e Fisher Exact Test (mortalidade). Os parâmetros limnológicos analisados na água foram: pH, temperatura, condutividade elétrica, material em suspensão (orgânico e inorgânico), sólidos totais, oxigênio dissolvido, DQO, DBO, nitrogênio total, nitrato, nitrito, amônio, fósforo total, ortofosfato e clorofila a. Os parâmetros físico-químicos do sedimento analisados foram: pH, temperatura, granulometria, teor de Matéria Orgânica e metais (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb e Mn). O grau de associação entre as variáveis limnológicas da água, sedimento, e testes ecotoxicológicos, foi avaliado em teste não-paramétrico, através do Coeficiente de Correlação de Spearman. As mesmas variáveis também foram analisadas através da Análise dos Componentes Principais (ACP). O Índice de Estado Trófico mostrou serem os reservatórios Guarapiranga e Billings os mais eutrofizados dentre os corpos hídricos estudados. Conforme os parâmetros analisados na água, alguns parâmetros de certos pontos amostrais estiveram fora dos Padrões estabelecidos pela Resolução CONAMA nº 357/05. Houve influência das chuvas em relação aos parâmetros limnológicos da água, mas o mesmo não foi evidenciado em relação aos resultados dos testes ecotoxicológicos. No geral os dados sugerem ser o sedimento dos reservatórios com maior potencial tóxico do que a água. Os dados ainda sugerem um gradiente de toxicidade, começando pelo reservatório Billings, Guarapiranga e por último Paiva Castro, sendo este o menos tóxico. Houve uma possível correlação entre os metais encontrados no sedimento dos reservatórios mais eutrofizados e a toxicidade obtida nos testes ecotoxicológicos. Os dados sugerem que maiores esforços preventivos e corretivos devem ser alocados para os reservatórios mais eutrofizados e com maiores ocorrências de toxicidade, como é o caso de Guarapiranga e Billings, enquanto que no terceiro reservatório, Paiva Castro, o monitoramento e esforços preventivos serão satisfatórios, mantendo os padrões de qualidade de suas águas em relação aos parâmetros analisados neste trabalho. / Considering the great water demand and the increase pollution in the present-day, the management of the hydric bodies must be something constant, with the preventive and corrective purpose, being the objective of this work to analyze the ecotoxicological and limnological conditions of Guarapiranga, Billings and Paiva Castro reservoirs, in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, that\'s supplied by these reservoirs. It was made 2 collections, one in May 2011, in the dry season, and the other in January 2012, in the wet season. In each reservoir it was analyzed 5 points next to the water captation station by the SABESP. The water and sediment were analyzed as for acute and chronic toxicity through bioEssays with the cladocerans Daphnia similis and Ceriodaphnia dubia to the water and D. similis and Chironomus Xanthus to the sediment. The data treatment occurred through the Dunnett\'s or Steel\'s Many-one Hank and Kruskal-Wallis (fecundity/ survival) and Fisher Exact Test (mortality). The limnological water parameters analyzed were: pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, suspended solids (organic and inorganic), total solids, dissolved oxygen, COD, BOD, total nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, total phosphorus, orthophosphate and chlorophyll a. The physical-chemical analyzed parameters in sediment were: pH, temperature, granulometry, organic matter, and metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and Mn). The association level between the limnological variables in water, sediment, and ecotoxicological tests, was available in non-parametric tests, through the Spearman correlation coefficient. The same variables were analyzed through the Principal Component Analysis. The Trophic State Index show the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoir as the most eutrophicated between the hydric bodies studied. According to the analyzed parameters in the water, some parameters of certain points were out of the standards established by CONAMA Resolution nº 357/05. There was influence from the rain in relation to the limnological parameters from water, but the same standard was not evidenced in relation to the results from the ecotoxicological tests. In general, the data suggest being the reservoir sediments with more toxic potential than the water. The data still suggest a toxicity gradient, beginning in the Billings and Guarapiranga reservoir, and for last Paiva Castro, being this one the less toxic. There was one possible correlation between the metal found in the more eutrophicated reservoir sediment and the toxicity obtained in the ecotoxicological tests. The data suggest that greater preventive and corrective efforts must be allocated to the more eutrophicated reservoirs with more toxicity occurrences, as the case of Guarapiranga and Billings, while in the third reservoir, Paiva Castro, the monitoring and preventive efforts will be satisfactory, keeping the water quality standard in relation to the parameters analyzed in this work.

Aquatic pollution from urban and industrial effluents represents a growing area of concern. The number and volume of xenobiotic chemicals in aquatic ecosystems is alarmingly high, due in part to increasing globalization and the associated demands. Invertebrates, in particular molluscs, represent species of great commercial importance and can therefore fail to be considered in terms of their significance in the transmission of human disease. Schistosoma mansoni is a trematode parasite transmitted to humans by aquatic snails of the genus Biomphalaria. S.mansoni infects up to 200 million people globally and transmission primarily occurs in developing countries with poor infrastructure, factors which also happen to be associated with high levels of aquatic pollution. Despite the medical importance of S.mansoni and its occurrence in potentially polluted environments, very few attempts have been made to study this parasite-host relationship in the context of ecotoxicology. In this thesis I have applied both adapted and novel approaches in order to combine the fields of parasitology and ecotoxicology toward a better understanding of the effects of globally-prevalent xenobiotic chemicals on the S.mansoni-B.glabrata relationship. In vitro assays, with various end-points, were performed based on exposure of hemocytes, the primary immune effector cells of molluscs, while whole snails were developmentally exposed to an effluent extract and subsequently infected as part of an in vivo study. Taken together, my results suggest that the immunocompetance of B.glabrata hemocytes is broadly reduced in the presence of DDE, BPA, E2 and an effluent extract; chemicals that occur at high levels in transmission countries. Reduction in the key hemocyte functions of motility, phagocytosis and encapsulation, caused by exposure to these chemicals, appears to be exacerbated by subsequent S.mansoni infection which results in an opportunity for increased parasite shedding. My hope is that this broad work will serve as a reference and facilitate more focused studies, particularly of a molecular and epidemiological nature, into what is an understudied and potentially very important topic with the potential for human health implications.

Endocrine disrupting compounds are ubiquitous in aquatic environments. Exposure to these compounds may cause deiodination of thyroid hormones in fish and also affect certain behaviors. Behavioral change may be a useful indicator of deiodination on an organismal level, and may indicate effects to populations, especially if these behaviors affect reproduction. We exposed Pimephales promelas (Fathead Minnow) to effluent from a recently upgraded wastewater treatment facility. The effluent contained a matrix of low-level (< 1.0 µg/L) concentrations of endocrine disrupting compounds pre- and post-upgrade. We examined the behavior of adult Fathead Minnow exposed to treated wastewater for 90 days and the behavior of their offspring at 12-20 days old. There was no significant difference in 11 of the 12 behaviors we documented for adult fish in control and treatment tanks (p > 0.05). However, treatment fish were significantly more aggressive towards a decoy fish compared to control fish (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference found in the predator avoidance behaviors examined in the F1 generation. Although our results did not find any significant differences between control and treatment fish in regard to most behaviors we would typical associate with thyroid deiodination, such behaviors may have manifested following a longer exposure period or by having a larger sample size. Other future considerations should include looking at different behaviors (e.g. social behaviors) and further characterization of the finished effluent.

Chemical pollutants are one of the main threats against biodiversity and chemicals affecting non-target organisms are of great environmental concern. The herbicide triclopyr is commonly used to keep weeds under control and is believed to be weakly toxic to animals and only lethal in high doses. However, the knowledge of possible sub-lethal behavior effects in low doses is scarce. This study investigates whether the wood ant (family Formica) show behavioral changes when exposed to sub-lethal doses of triclopyr. The main hypotheses tested were; i) ants behaving normally show a preference for dark surfaces (i.e. scototaxis); and ii) triclopyr affect this behavior trait among ants. The hypotheses were tested by exposing ants to diets containing 1, 10 and 100 mg/L triclopyr for 24 hours (acute) and 7 days (chronic). To what extent ants preferred the white surface (proportion of frames with the ant visible), their activity (proportion of speed above 1 mm/s) their exploration (proportion area covered) and their average velocities was measured using a newly developed tracking software (ToxTrac). The results clearly show that ants have preference for dark surfaces and thus, that the first hypothesis is valid. However, the second hypothesis appear invalid as the different exposures to triclopyr did not affect the examined behaviors. Based on the results, triclopyr appear to not affect non-target organism such as ants, although possible behavioral effects in other organisms and other behavioral traits cannot be excluded.