Chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations in plasma of the Lake Erie water snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) and northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) from the Great Lakes basin in 1998
Ca. Bishop et Jd. Rouse, Chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations in plasma of the Lake Erie water snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) and northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) from the Great Lakes basin in 1998, ARCH ENV C, 39(4), 2000, pp. 500-505
Citations number
37
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology,"Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
From the Great Lakes basin, concentrations of 59 congener-specific polychlo
rinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 14 organochlorine pesticides were measured in
blood plasma of northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) and Lake Eri
e water snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum), which is endangered in Canada. I
n 1998, four male adult Lake Erie water snakes were sampled from Pelee Isla
nd, western Lake Erie; four male northern water snakes were sampled at Litt
le Lake, about 20 km north of Parry Sound in central Ontario; and four adul
t gravid female northern water snakes were sampled from Garden Island, east
ern Lake Ontario. The blood plasma was pooled by site for a total of three
samples analyzed. The Pelee Island sample from male Lake Erie water snakes
contained less than half the Lipid concentration (0.349%) than samples from
the other sites, but it was the most contaminated with PCBs, even on a wet
weight basis. Summed concentration of individual PCBs in the Pelee Island
sample was 167 ng/g (wet weight), which was 14-fold higher than the next mo
st contaminated sample, which was from Little Lake. The plasma sample from
Little Lake contained 12 ng/g (WW) and was four times more contaminated wit
h PCBs than the sample from female snakes from Garden Island, Lake Ontario.
Organochlorine pesticide concentrations in plasma were relatively similar
among sites. None of the pesticides was found above trace concentrations (0
.1-0.9 ng/g) except pp'-DDE, which occurred at 2-5 ng/g among sites. PCB co
ngener patterns in the Lake Erie water snakes were compared to PCB patterns
in plasma of common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) from
Lake Ontario, herring gull eggs (Larus argentatus) from western Lake Erie,
and mudpuppy eggs (Necturus maculosus) from the Detroit River. The PCB patt
erns in water snake and herring gull sample were most similar, followed by
the pattern in snapping turtle plasma. The presence of more lower-chlorinat
ed chlorobiphenyls in the mudpuppy eggs relative to the other species made
this sample distinct from the water snake, gull, and turtle.