Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that can bioaccumulate in organisms. PCBs are documented endocrine disrupting chemicals and are known to cause developmental, reproductive, and neurobiological disorders. This study examines the bioaccumulation of PCBs in the northern diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin), a species that is endemic to the brackish waters of the East Coast salt marshes of the United States. The two populations studied are located in Cape May County, NJ, a site with low levels of contamination and Jamaica Bay, NY, which is a highly contaminated site. While PCBs bioaccumulation has been extensively researched, many studies involve lethal sampling techniques. Such techniques can be detrimental to populations and may not be viable for long-term studies. This study examined the utility of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as a non-lethal sampling technique for PCB analysis. In order to determine the viability of the CAM, maternal transfer of contaminants was also analyzed. Ten terrapin samples from each field location were analyzed. Egg and CAM samples were obtained from both field sites and liver samples were also collected from Cape May County terrapins. PCB levels and congener profiles were similar in both field locations. While PCB congeners were detected in liver, egg, and CAM samples, less chlorinated congeners preferentially partitioned in the CAM. Liver and egg sample PCB concentrations were strongly correlated, but the CAM concentrations were weakly correlated to liver and egg samples. Examination of homolog groups indicated a strong correlation between hexachlorinated biphenyls in all three sample types. Preliminary study results indicated that maternal transfer of PCB contaminants does occur with selective partitioning of congeners into the CAM. / Biology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/1506 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Ismail, Niveen |
| Contributors | Sanders, Robert W., Hsieh, Tonia, Velinsky, David Jay |
| Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
| Source Sets | Temple University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 112 pages |
| Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/1488, Theses and Dissertations |
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