Effects of Neutral Sulfite Semichemical Pulp Mill Effluent in the Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus.) Adult Fish Reproductive Test

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thijs Bosker ◽  
L. Mark Hewitt ◽  
Meghan A. Doyle ◽  
Deborah L. MacLatchy
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Wild Fish ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Adult Fish ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Gonad Size ◽  
Semichemical Pulp ◽  
Final Effluent

Abstract Short-term adult fish reproductive tests using freshwater species have demonstrated negative impacts on egg production in fish exposed to complex pulp and paper mill effluents. In an effort to address the ability of laboratory tests to predict effects on wild fish, mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) were exposed in saltwater conditions for 21 days to 3 and 30% final effluent of a neutral sulfite semichemical pulp mill that discharges into an estuarine environment in eastern Canada. Although no effects on gonad size, liver size, or condition factor were found, egg production was significantly increased by 31% and decreased by 30% when fish were exposed to 3 and 30% final effluent, respectively. This study i) is the first to demonstrate a decrease in egg production when fish are exposed to complex effluents under estuarine conditions and ii) provides the first linkage of effects on gonad size in wild fish to egg production from laboratory testing in the same species. In so doing, this study also demonstrates the utility of egg production measurements to further investigate the causes and solutions to the effects of mill effluents in both freshwater and marine wild fish.

The Effects of Final Treated Effluent and In-Mill Waste Streams from a Canadian Thermomechanical Pulp and Paper Mill on Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) Reproduction

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thijs Bosker ◽  
L. Mark Hewitt ◽  
Kelly R. Munkittrick ◽  
Steven D. Melvin ◽  
Deborah L. MacLatchy
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Thermomechanical Pulp ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Treated Effluent ◽  
Gonad Size ◽  
Mill Waste

Abstract The effect on fish reproduction of final treated effluent from a thermomechanical pulp mill in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, was studied using mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), an endemic fish species of the Atlantic coast of North America. A 1997 artificial stream study at the same mill showed a reduction in gonad sizes in mummichog after a 28-day exposure to 3% final treated effluent. In 2005, we reevaluated final treated effluent, and conducted a toxicity source evaluation to identity waste stream sources within the mill that may cause reproductive effects. Relative to reference, no significant differences in gonad size, plasma levels of gonadal sex steroids, egg production, or stage of egg development were observed in fish exposed to 1, 3, 10, 30, and 100% final treated effluent or in-mill waste streams. Unlike the previous study in 1997, these data indicate a low potential for an effect of final effluent on fish reproduction. Since the 1997 study there were no major process changes that could explain the differences in the results. However, there was high variability in gonad size, egg production, and endocrine endpoints measured in the more recent test, which resulted in low power to detect differences. This has prompted research to refine the current reproductive test by optimizing study design.

The Benefits of Biotreatment for Reducing the Effects of Pulp and Paper Mill Effluents on Fish Reproduction in Laboratory Tests

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 161-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Martel ◽  
Tibor Kovacs ◽  
Virginie Bérubé
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pulp And Paper ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Fish Reproduction ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents ◽  
Gonad Size

Abstract Pulp and paper mill effluents have been reported to cause changes in reproductive indicators of fish in laboratory and field studies. These changes include reduced egg production and gonad size, and altered hormone levels and expression of secondary sex characteristics. We examined the performance of biotreatment plants for their potential in abating effects of pulp and paper mill effluents on fish reproduction under laboratory conditions. A bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) treated in an aerated lagoon and a thermomechanical pulp mill effluent (TMPE) treated by aerobic sludge in a sequential batch reactor were selected for study. Mature fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to effluents before and after biotreatment under continuous renewal conditions for 21 days. Egg production was monitored daily, while morphometric parameters (length, weight, gonad size), secondary sexual characteristics, and steroid hormone and vitellogenin levels were measured at the end of the effluent exposure. The effluent from both mills before biotreatment impaired the reproductive capacity of minnows (egg production) at concentrations of 10 and 20% vol/vol, but not at 2% vol/vol. Exposure to biotreated effluents from both mills at concentrations of 2, 10, 20, and 40% vol/vol caused no significant differences in overall reproductive capacity of minnows as compared with controls. These results indicate that biotreatment can significantly improve the quality of a BKME and an effluent from a TMP mill with respect to the reproductive capacity of fish as determined in laboratory tests.

Reproduction

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Burton ◽  
Margaret Burton
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Freshwater Species ◽  
Adult Fish ◽  
Reproductive Patterns ◽  
Cell Divisions ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
External Cues ◽  
Neural Factors

Interspecific fish reproductive patterns, outputs and life cycles display the greatest variability within the vertebrates. Early stages of oogenesis can be repeated in adult fish, contrasting with mammals; the pre-set sequence of cell divisions in gametogenesis is otherwise similar and is described in detail. Most fish deposit much yolk (vitellogenesis) in developing eggs. Migrations, beach-spawning and mouth-brooding are some of the interesting variations. Fertilization is predominantly external but is internal in some groups such as chondrichthyans. The omission of annual reproduction is well established in some freshwater species and the idea that this may also be the case for marine teleosts is gaining acceptance. This should be taken into account for intensively fished species. The possible roles of external cues, hormones, pheromones and neural factors acting as ‘switches’ and coordinators in gametogenesis and reproductive behaviour are discussed.

Does annual variation in growth and sexual maturation of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) confound comparisons between pulp mill contaminated and reference rivers?

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1068-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dany Bussières ◽  
Marthe Monique Gagnon ◽  
Julian Dodson ◽  
Peter V Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturation ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Fish Populations ◽  
White Sucker ◽  
Catostomus Commersoni ◽  
Gonad Size ◽  
Kraft Mill Effluent ◽  
Pulp Mill Effluents ◽  
First Maturity ◽  
Size At Age

A previous study on the effect of pulp and paper effluents on white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), conducted in 1991 and 1992, in both effluent-exposed and reference rivers showed that fish grew faster at downstream sites than at upstream sites. However, in contrast with fish from a reference river, fish exposed to effluent showed no decrease in age or size at first maturity or increase in gonad size or fecundity in response to greater growth. The objective of the present study, conducted in 1993, was to test if differences in measures of growth and sexual maturation between fish populations in exposed and reference rivers would vary from year to year and whether such variation would affect conclusions concerning the effects of pulp mill effluents. Although size at age, fecundity, and age at first maturity varied between the two studies, patterns of demographic responses to pulp mill effluents, relative to reference populations, remained the same, i.e., conclusions about effects of pulp mill effluents did not change despite variation in demographic variables between years and sites. This study reaffirmed the view that only by including the fish populations in a reference river could effects due to bleached kraft mill effluent be separated from effects due to nutrient gradients.

Reproductive Steroid Responses in Fish Exposed to Pulp Mill Condensates: An Investigation of Cause Case Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L. MacLatchy ◽  
Craig Milestone ◽  
Kevin S. Shaughnessy ◽  
Andrew M. Belknap ◽  
Monique G. Dubé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Chemical Recovery ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Identification Evaluation ◽  
Active Substances

Abstract An investigation of cause (IOC) approach integrating artificial stream exposures and laboratory bioassays has been used to identify waste stream sources of contaminants at the Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd. mill, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Chemical recovery condensates have shown the greatest potential for reducing circulating steroids in mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), an endemic fish species. A solid phase extraction (SPE) technique was developed to isolate hormonally active substances from the condensates, and a toxicity identification evaluation approach was used to gain a better understanding of the chemical characteristics of the active substances. Extracts were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the fractions were used in a seven-day bioassay. Dose-response experiments indicated that steroid reductions in male mummichog were observed consistently after a 4% (vol/vol) exposure. At 4% (vol/vol), however, steroid reductions were not observed in fractions of the active SPE extract generated by HPLC. Some fractions actually induced increases in plasma testosterone. Recent work has focused on understanding what methodologies must be used to handle the semivolatile condensates to ensure 100% chemical recovery and retention of biological activity. Results are summarized in the context of developing an industry-wide IOC framework.

Physiological Disturbances in Fish Living in Coastal Water Polluted with Bleached Kraft Pulp Mill Effluents

1988 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1525-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Andersson ◽  
Lars Förlin ◽  
Jan Härdig ◽  
Åke Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Discharge Point ◽  
Bleached Kraft Pulp ◽  
Perch Perca Fluviatilis ◽  
Gonad Size ◽  
Pulp Mill Effluents ◽  
Bleached Kraft Mill Effluents ◽  
Cytochrome P 450

An extensive trial to examine physiological and biochemical changes in perch (Perca fluviatilis) inhabiting coastal waters polluted by bleached kraft mill effluents (BKME) has been carried out. The investigations were performed at four different times of year. Fish from a reference site and from sampling sites 2, 4.5, 8, and 10 km from the discharge point were examined. The results of the investigation show profound effects of BKME on several fundamental biochemical and physiological functions. Typical symptoms in perch from the polluted areas were reduced gonad growth, enlarged liver, and very strong induction of certain cytochrome P-450-dependent enzyme activities in the liver. Elevated levels of ascorbic acid in liver tissue and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism reflect the effluent's ability to cause metabolic disorders. Marked effects on the white blood cell pattern indicate a suppressed immune defence. Alterations in the red blood cell status and in the ion balance suggest that the demand for oxygen by certain tissues was increased and that gill function was impaired, respectively. The toxic effects were most pronounced in fish living up to 4.5 km from the discharge point, but some disturbances (e.g. cytochrome P-450 induction, reduced gonad size, and hematological alterations) were observed in fish caught as far as 8–10 km from the kraft bleach plant.

Assessment of Northern Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus) as an Estuarine Pollution Monitoring Species

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan A. Finley ◽  
Simon C. Courtenay ◽  
Kevin L. Teather ◽  
Michael R. van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Liver Size ◽  
Paper Mill Effluents

Abstract The use of multiple spawning fishes in environmental effects monitoring programs has proven difficult for a number of reasons including the inability to predict reproductive investment and ensure synchronous sampling of reference and impacted populations. The estuarine resident northern mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus) has been successfully used as a sentinel for effects of pulp and paper mill effluents in Atlantic Canada and has been proposed for monitoring other anthropogenic impacts. This study investigated the spatial and temporal variability of the somatic parameters used to describe fish performance, specifically measures of energy use and storage, in estuaries located in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Three sites with varying levels of agricultural input were studied. Fish at all sites depleted their energy reserves over winter, as reflected in depressed condition, liver size, and gonad size, but then quickly replenished them in May. These population parameters were highly variable throughout the reproductive season and within an estuary. Spawning was continuous at all sites without indication of lunar or other periodicity. We conclude that repeated sampling is required to assess reproductive output in the northern mummichog and densities of adults and young-of-the-year deserve further investigation as a potentially less logistically demanding indicator of eutrophication.

Recalcitrant Organics Emerging from Biological Treatment of Kraft Mill Effluents

2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramakrishna R. Konduru ◽  
Steven N. Liss ◽  
D. Grant Allen
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Equilibrium Dialysis ◽  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Aqueous Environment ◽  
Organic Carbon Concentration ◽  
Recalcitrant Organic Matter ◽  
Kraft Mill ◽  
Final Effluent

Abstract Recalcitrant organic matter (ROM) in combined kraft mill effluents is that organic matter remaining in the effluents after primary and secondary treatment. Recalcitrant organic matter comprises of both high molecular weight (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) components and is of interest, since environmental regulators are considering placing limits on final effluent COD and colour. Biologically treated pulp mill effluent was fractionated by ultrafiltration to study the contributions of the high and low molecular weight recalcitrant organics towards final effluent COD and AOX. Batch biodegradation tests were carried out on lab-generated biotreated effluent from lab scale sequencing batch reactors operating at 35, 45, 55 and 60°C, to investigate if the residual recalcitrant fraction could be further degraded. Biodegradation tests involved the optimization of the microbiological medium by the addition of either an alternate carbon source (glucose) or a carbon-nitrogen substrate (yeast extract). Treatment temperatures and nutrient levels were varied and the effect of each of these four factors on the biodegradability of the recalcitrant fractions was studied. The recalcitrant portion was found to be resistant to further biodegradation, even under optimized microbiological conditions. The HMW fraction of the ROM obtained from final biotreated effluent from a bleached kraft pulp mill (HMW ROMMill) was studied for its ability to bind other organic model pollutants in an aqueous environment. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was tested for its binding onto the HMW ROMMill, using toxicity as a surrogate parameter for binding, in the Microtox™ test. Equilibrium dialysis studies were carried out to investigate the ability of HMW ROMMill to bind 14C-Benzopyrene (BaP) and 3H-dehydroabietic acid (DHA). Microtox™ studies failed to indicate the binding of PCP onto HMW ROMMill. BaP and DHA however did bind onto HMW ROMMill. BaP binding onto HMW ROMMill was higher than DHA binding, possibly due to its hydrophobicity. Also, increasing the dissolved organic carbon concentration of HMW ROMMill led to a decrease in the partition coefficient values for both BaP and DHA.

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