ABILITY OF BKME (BLEACHED KRAFT MILL EFFLUENT) EXPOSED WHITE SUCKERS (CATOSTOMUS-COMMERSONI) TO SYNTHESIZE STEROID-HORMONES

Steroid synthesis was stimulated in white suckers to study the impact of bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME). BKME-exposed male suckers reac hed similar testosterone levels, but lower 11-ketotestosterone levels relative to non-exposed fish. BKME-exposed females reached higher leve ls of testosterone but similar levels of 17 beta-estradiol, relative t o non-exposed females. Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity wa s depressed in females secreting 17 beta-estradiol. Steroid synthesis by isolated ovarian follicles from exposed and non-exposed females was similar, suggesting that the origin of different steroid levels in BK ME-exposed females is external to the gonad.