Reproductive health indicators of fishes from Pennsylvania watersheds: association with chemicals of emerging concern

Abstract

Fishes were collected at 16 sites within the three major river drainages (Delaware, Susquehanna, and Ohio) of Pennsylvania. Three species were evaluated for biomarkers of estrogenic/antiandrogenic exposure, including plasma vitellogenin and testicular oocytes in male fishes. Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, white sucker Catostomus commersonii, and redhorse sucker Moxostoma species were collected in the summer, a period of low flow and low reproductive activity. Smallmouth bass were the only species in which testicular oocytes were observed; however, measurable concentrations of plasma vitellogenin were found in male bass and white sucker. The percentage of male bass with testicular oocytes ranged from 10 to 100%, with the highest prevalence and severity in bass collected in the Susquehanna drainage. The percentage of males with plasma vitellogenin ranged from 0 to 100% in both bass and sucker. Biological findings were compared with chemical analyses of discrete water samples collected at the time of fish collections. Estrone concentrations correlated with testicular oocytes prevalence and severity and with the percentage of male bass with vitellogenin. No correlations were noted with the percentage of male sucker with vitellogenin and water chemical concentrations. The prevalence and severity of testicular oocytes in bass also correlated with the percent of agricultural land use in the watershed above a site. Two sites within the Susquehanna drainage and one in the Delaware were immediately downstream of wastewater treatment plants to compare results with upstream fish. The percentage of male bass with testicular oocytes was not consistently higher downstream; however, severity did tend to increase downstream.

Fig. 1

Fish collection sites in Pennsylvania drainages from 2007 to 2010

Fig. 2

Percentage of male smallmouth bass with testicular oocytes collected in the three major river drainages in Pennsylvania in 2007–2008. One site, Schuykill River (Sc) in the Delaware drainage (gray bar); six sites, upstream (Su-U) and downstream (Su-D) on the Susquehanna River, upstream (Sw-U), middle (Sw-M), and downstream (SW-D) Swatara Creek and Juniatia River (Ju) in the Susquehanna drainage (black bars); Ohio River (Oh), upstream (Mo-U) and downstream (Mo-D) Monongahela River, upstream (AL-U) and downstream (Al-D) Allegheny in the Ohio drainage (white bars)

Fig. 3

Microscopic appearance of testicular tissue in smallmouth bass and sucker species collected in the Susquehanna and Ohio drainages in 2007–2008. a Testicular tissue of smallmouth bass collected in the Ohio River drainage illustrating low severity of testicular oocytes. One oocyte (arrow) is apparent in the section. b Section of testes from a smallmouth bass collected in the Susquehanna River drainage. Numerous oocytes including clusters (arrows) are present. Multiple sperm cell stages including spermatocytes and spermatids (a) and spermatozoa (b) are present. Scale bars = 50 μm. Hematoxylin and eosin stain

Fig. 4

Percentage of male (black bars) and female (white bars) smallmouth bass with measurable vitellogenin collected in the three major river drainages (Delaware, Susquehanna, and Ohio) in 2007–2008. One site, Schuykill River (Sc) in the Delaware drainage; six sites, upstream (Su-U) and downstream (Su-D) on the Susquehanna River, upstream (Sw-U), middle (Sw-M), and downstream (SW-D) Swatara Creek and Juniata River (Ju) in the Susquehanna drainage; Ohio River (Oh), upstream (Mo-U) and downstream (Mo-D) Monongahela River, upstream (AL-U) and downstream (Al-D) Allegheny in the Ohio drainage

Fig. 5

Percentage of male (black bars) and female (white bars) white sucker with measurable plasma vitellogenin collected in the Susquehanna and Delaware River drainages. Three sites, Schuykill River (Sc), upstream (Br-U) and downstream (Br-D) Brodhead Creek in the Delaware drainage; three sites, upstream (Sw-U), middle (Sw-M), and downstream (SW-D) Swatara Creek in the Susquehanna drainage