DEFINING THE ROLE OF POLLUTANTS IN THE DISRUPTION OF REPRODUCTION IN WILDLIFE

Although chemical exposure has been associated with reduced reproducti on in certain North American fish, reptiles, and mammals, definitive c ause-and-effect data are lacking in many instances. Because the increa sing use and global transport of industrial chemicals pose significant risk to successful reproduction, methods should be developed that can define the geographic extent and magnitude of injury and risk to wild life. Because industrial chemicals are articles of commerce, informati on about injury to wildlife has been contentious and too often ineffec tive in changing societal behavior. The following strategies are advoc ated for inferring causal relationships. First, a balanced and compreh ensive assessment of the data is necessary to determine the geographic extent of exposure and reproductive effects associated with environme ntal pollution. Initial efforts to document reproductive injury should focus on specific ecosystems in which detrimental effects have been o bserved, but lack sufficient causal data. Model systems (including exp erimental mesocosms or field ecosystems) should be identified or desig ned that can adequately test multigenerational reproductive effects. M echanistic data from supportive laboratory studies on reproductive tox icity, quantitative structure-activity relationships, and bioaccumulat ion can be used to predict effects of related pollutants and to determ ine risk. Such information is essential to prevent future injury to wi ldlife and to prioritize the numerous remediation decisions facing our society.