Folmar L C, Denslow N D, Kroll K, Orlando E F, Enblom J, Marcino J, Metcalfe C, Guillette L J
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sabine Island Dr., Gulf Breeze, Florida 32561, USA.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2001 Apr;40(3):392-8. doi: 10.1007/s002440010188.
Several recent in situ studies have reported that domestic and mixed domestic/industrial sewage effluents contain one or more natural or anthropogenic estrogenic substances. Those studies examined caged or feral fish for the presence of the egg yolk precursor protein, vitellogenin (VTG), in the blood of male fish. We have previously reported that male, feral carp (Cyprinus carpio) obtained from the effluent channel of a major sewage treatment plant (STP) exhibited depressed serum testosterone (T) concentrations, as well as detectable levels of VTG. The present study examines male and female walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), a native species with a different life history and feeding habits, collected from the same Mississippi River locations below the St. Paul metropolitan STP. All male and female walleye collected from the effluent channel contained measurable levels of VTG in their blood. Males from that location also exhibited depressed serum T concentrations and elevated serum estradiol-17beta (E2) concentrations compared with males from the Snake River reference site. Males obtained from Mississippi River Navigational Pool #2 (MRP-2), 3-20 miles downstream of the STP also exhibited reduced serum T concentrations, but showed no alterations in E2 concentrations or the presence of VTG in the serum. Females collected at the STP site had greatly elevated serum E2 concentrations, but serum T concentrations were not different from females collected in the Snake River. Our results demonstrate that the St. Paul metropolitan STP continues to release an estrogenic effluent, capable of inducing VTG production and altering normal serum sex steroid concentrations in a commercially valuable, native fish, the walleye. Additional studies will be required to determine whether these observations portend long-term population level effects.
最近的几项原位研究报告称，生活污水以及生活/工业混合污水中含有一种或多种天然或人为来源的雌激素物质。这些研究检测了圈养或野生鱼类血液中卵黄前体蛋白——卵黄蛋白原（VTG）的存在情况。我们之前曾报道，从一家大型污水处理厂（STP）的排放渠道捕获的野生雄性鲤鱼（Cyprinus carpio）血清睾酮（T）浓度降低，且检测到了VTG。本研究检测了从圣保罗市大型污水处理厂下游的密西西比河相同地点采集的大眼狮鲈（Stizostedion vitreum）的雌雄个体，该物种具有不同的生活史和摄食习性。从排放渠道采集的所有大眼狮鲈雌雄个体血液中VTG含量均可测。与来自斯内克河参考点的雄性大眼狮鲈相比，该地点的雄性大眼狮鲈血清T浓度降低，血清雌二醇 - 17β（E2）浓度升高。从污水处理厂下游3 - 20英里处的密西西比河航道池2号（MRP - 2）捕获的雄性大眼狮鲈血清T浓度也降低，但血清E2浓度未发生变化，血清中也未检测到VTG。在污水处理厂地点采集的雌性大眼狮鲈血清E2浓度大幅升高，但血清T浓度与在斯内克河采集的雌性大眼狮鲈并无差异。我们的研究结果表明，圣保罗市大型污水处理厂仍在排放具有雌激素活性的污水，这种污水能够诱导VTG生成，并改变一种具有商业价值的本地鱼类——大眼狮鲈的正常血清性类固醇浓度。还需要进一步研究以确定这些观察结果是否预示着长期的种群水平影响。
