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Lethal and sublethal effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on Rana sylvatica tadpoles
Author(s) -
Savage Wesley K.,
Quimby Fred W.,
DeCaprio Anthony P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620210124
Subject(s) - tadpole (physics) , sediment , biology , wetland , ecotoxicology , contamination , ecology , zoology , environmental chemistry , environmental science , chemistry , paleontology , physics , particle physics
In static experiments, we exposed tadpoles of the wood frog ( Rana sylvatica ) to sediment collected from a riverine wetland in the St. Lawrence River basin that is highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Significant mortality occurred early in the experiment and was not explained by a simple dose‐dependent relationship. Direct sediment contact resulted in higher tadpole mortality compared with tadpoles suspended in mesh containers above the sediment. Sublethal effects of exposure were also apparent, characterized by behavioral abnormalities, including reduced activity levels and swimming speed, that differed depending on whether tadpoles were in contact with or suspended above the sediment. We demonstrate in this experiment that PCB‐contaminated sediment induced significant mortality and behavioral dysfunction in early development, but the effects on natural populations existing in the contaminated region is not known.