Wild fish from the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern contain elevated tissue concentrations of PCBs and exhibit evidence of endocrine-related health effects

Abstract

The Bay of Quinte (BOQ) is an Area of Concern listed under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The presence of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fish in the BOQ AOC has led to restrictions on fish consumption by humans, which is a beneficial use impairment. Adult yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) were sampled from Trenton, Belleville, and Deseronto (reference site) in the BOQ. A suite of hormone assays and various measures of exposure and/or sublethal health effects were used to assess the health status of fish of both species and sex. Condition factor, hepatosomatic index, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity, circulating steroid and thyroid hormones, thyroid activation, oocyte size distribution, spermatogenic cell stages, and plasma vitellogenin were among the endpoints that were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by location. Many of those effects corresponded with significantly (p < 0.05) greater tissue concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at Belleville and Trenton. Hepatic extracts from brown bullhead sampled from Trenton had significantly (p < 0.05) greater binding activity to the androgen receptor and sex steroid binding protein. Taken together, these data and preliminary data from a concomitant study suggest that PCBs are likely being hydroxylated in vivo, resulting in enhanced bioactivity at endocrine receptors and measurable health responses. The present study supports the growing body of evidence that PCBs and their metabolites can affect fish thyroid and steroid hormone systems.

Keywords: Bay of Quinte; Brown bullhead; Endocrine disruption; Polychlorinated biphenyl; Yellow perch.