Assessment of Wild Fish From Canadian Areas of Concern for Fish Health and Reproductive Alterations

1. Assessment of Wild Fish From
Canadian Areas of Concern
for Fish Health and
Reproductive Alterations
M. McMaster
National Water Research Institute
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

3. Beneficial Use Impairments
· restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
· tainting of fish and wildlife flavor
· degradation of fish and wildlife populations
· fish tumors or other deformities
· bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems
· degradation of benthos
· restrictions on dredging activities
· eutrophication or undesirable algae
· drinking water restrictions, or taste and odor problems
· beach closings
· degradation of aesthetics
· added costs to agriculture or industry
· degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton
· loss of fish and wildlife habitat

4. Reproductive Effects Identified at Jackfish Bay
AOC
 Detailed studies at the Jackfish Bay AOC
(bleached kraft mill discharge) identified
reproductive effects in white sucker exposed
to effluent

5. Are Similar Effects present at
other AOCs? Reproductive
effects were not looked at when
sites were listed.

6. Jim Sherry, Scott Brown, Joanne Parrott, Mark
Hewitt, Derek Muir, National Water Research
Institute, Environment Canada
Alice Dove, Scott Painter, Melanie Neilson,
Ecosystem Health Division, Environment Canada -
Ontario Region
Liard Shutt, Canadian Wildlife Service, National
Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada
D.V. Chip Weseloh, Kim Fernie, Pamela Martin,
Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada-
Ontario Region

7. Assessment of Effects in Wild Fish
Follow EEM approach where 20 males and 20
females of two species captured:
 Examination of gonad development, egg size,
fecundity, expression of secondary sexual
characteristics
 Measurement of circulating Vtg, reproductive
steroid hormone levels and thyroid hormones
 Determination of steroid and thyroid biosynthetic
capacity
 Liver mixed-function oxidase
 Histology of endocrine and other tissues (gonads,
thyroid, liver)
 Liver tumours, deformities and other anomolies
 Contaminant concentrations in blood, muscle
 Binding of liver and SPMD extracts to endocrine
receptors

9. JFB reassessed in 2006 using these endpoints –
Tumour data is in cue for processing

12. Reproductive Effects Identified at Jackfish Bay
AOC
 Detailed studies at the Jackfish Bay AOC
(bleached kraft mill discharge) identified
reproductive effects in white sucker exposed
to effluent

13. 17
0 1 2 km
Moberly Lake Jackfish Lake
N Sawmill Creek
Blackbird Creek
bleached
17
Kraft mill 17
Jackfish Bay
Terrace Bay, ON
Lake Superior

14. Effects Of Pulp Mill Effluent Exposure
On White Sucker Ovary Size
Reference Site Pulp Mill Effluent
Exposed

15. EFFECTS OF PULP MILL
EFFLUENT EXPOSURE ON
GONADOSOMATIC INDEX
G.S.I. (% Body Weight)
20
8
15
6
10
4
2 5
0 0
Male Female
Mountain Bay (Reference)
Jackfish Bay (BKME Exposed)

16. Effects Of Pulp Mill Effluent Exposure
On Lake Whitefish Testes Size
Reference Site Pulp Mill Effluent
Exposed

17. WHITE SUCKER ARE SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC
Nuptual Tubercles Are Abundant In Sexually Mature Males

18. EFFECTS OF PULP MILL
EXPOSURE ON NUPTUAL
TUBERCLES
20
Mountain Bay (Reference)
15
Jackfish Bay (BKME EXPOSED)
# Of Fish
10
5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Tubercle Index

19. DELAYED SEXUAL MATURITY IN
PULP MILL EXPOSED FISH
100
Proportion Of Sample (%)
Jackfish
Bay(BKME)
80 Mountain Bay
(Reference)
60
40
20
0
<5 6 7 8 9 10
Age (Years)

21. EFFECTS OF PULP MILL EFFLUENT ON
FEMALE WHITE SUCKER STEROIDS
Steroid Hormone Titre (ng/mL)
Vitellogenic Pre-Spawning
1.6 30
1.4 25
1.2
20
1
0.8 15
0.6 10
0.4
0.2 5
0 0
E2 Testosterone E2 Testosterone
Mountain Bay (Reference)
Jackfish Bay (BKME EXPOSED)

22. In Vitro Steroid Hormone Determination
Remove Ovary; 10 Follicles/Well
1 2 3 4 5 6
A
B
C
D
Radioimmunoassay (RIA)
To Determine Steroid Production

23. 2,500 Reference
2,000
Circulating Pulp Mill
Steroid 1,500
1,000
*
(pg/mL)
500
0
*
80
Basal
60
In Vitro
Steroid 40 * *
20
0
17 B-Estradiol Testosterone