Wren C D
Ecological Services for Planning Ltd., Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
J Toxicol Environ Health. 1991 Aug;33(4):549-85. doi: 10.1080/15287399109531540.
Following outbreaks of reproductive failure in commercial ranching operations, laboratory experiments showed that mink are extremely sensitive to organochlorine chemicals, particularly PCBs and dioxins. The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that, since wild mink are exposed to these compounds through consumption of Great Lakes fish, they might exhibit reproductive dysfunction and population declines. The otter, another piscivorous animal, should show the same effects. The available information is reviewed according to five epidemiological criteria. Harvest data are presented as a surrogate for the population status of mink and otters in certain locations around the Great Lakes. Data from Ohio show that the mink harvest between 1982 and 1987 from contaminated counties bordering Lake Erie was consistently lower (380 animals per year) than those from counties removed from Lake Erie (850 animals per year), suggesting an effect of chemicals on the status of mink populations. Preliminary studies from Ontario also suggest that mink harvest is lower in potentially "high PCB exposure areas" compared with lower exposure areas. Evidence is also presented on the harvest data for otters taken from four New York State counties adjacent to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The harvest data from these four counties show that between 1960 and early 1970 otter harvest remained stable but has since increased. Increased harvest is consistent with improved water quality in Lake Ontario during the past 15 yr. Data relating to strength of association between chemicals and populations of mink and otter are weak and need to be further analyzed. The specificity of the effects of the chemicals on mink reproduction and mortality is well established from toxicological experiments, but there is poor resolution of the information on effects using field data. The strongest case for a causal relationship comes from consideration of the coherence criterion. In conclusion, before a causal link can be drawn between the status of mink and otter populations and exposure to organochlorine chemicals from the Great Lakes, a large amount of research and data analysis needs to be undertaken.
在商业牧场养殖作业中出现繁殖失败疫情后，实验室实验表明，水貂对有机氯化学品极为敏感，尤其是多氯联苯和二恶英。本文的目的是检验以下假设：由于野生水貂通过食用五大湖鱼类接触到这些化合物，它们可能会出现繁殖功能障碍和种群数量下降。水獭作为另一种食鱼动物，应该也会出现同样的影响。根据五项流行病学标准对现有信息进行了审查。给出了收获数据，作为五大湖周边某些地区水貂和水獭种群状况的替代指标。俄亥俄州的数据显示，1982年至1987年期间，伊利湖沿岸受污染县的水貂捕获量（每年380只）一直低于远离伊利湖的县（每年850只），这表明化学物质对水貂种群状况有影响。安大略省的初步研究也表明，与低暴露地区相比，潜在“高多氯联苯暴露地区”的水貂捕获量较低。还给出了来自纽约州毗邻安大略湖和圣劳伦斯河的四个县的水獭收获数据。这四个县的收获数据显示，1960年至1970年初水獭捕获量保持稳定，但此后有所增加。捕获量增加与安大略湖过去15年水质改善一致。与化学物质和水貂及水獭种群之间关联强度相关的数据很薄弱，需要进一步分析。毒理学实验充分证实了化学物质对水貂繁殖和死亡率影响的特异性，但利用实地数据得出的影响信息分辨率较差。因果关系最有力的证据来自对连贯性标准的考量。总之，在水貂和水獭种群状况与接触五大湖有机氯化学品之间建立因果联系之前，需要进行大量的研究和数据分析。
