EFFECTS OF IN-VIVO EXPOSURE TO 2,3,7,8-TCDD ON F-1 GENERATION ADULT CHICKENS (GALLUS-GALLUS)

White Leghorn chickens (Gallus gallus) were used as surrogate species for the resident wild turkeys found on the Times Beach, Missouri, Supe rfund site. Parental chickens were injected with concentrations of 2,3 ,7,8-TCDD which modeled soil concentrations before (200 ppb) and after remediation (1 ppb)[1]. Offspring were followed through development t o assess alterations in reproductive maturity through the use of a fou r-way breeding study. F-1 adult females exposed to a maternal dose of 8.6 ng/day began egg production approximately two weeks later than did F-1 control adult females. By week eight, however, egg production bet ween groups was equivalent. No differences were observed in eggshell g land estrogen or progesterone receptor levels. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd. All rights reserved.