Endocrine disruption in the pituitary of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) caged in a lake contaminated with iron-ore mine tailings.

摘要

Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that white suckers caged in Lake Wabush, which receives a high volume of iron ore tailings, had significantly lower levels of growth hormone per pituitary area than fish caged in an adjoining reference lake, Lake Shabogamo. This demonstrates that the pituitary could be a target to consider in endocrine studies. The findings are also novel with respect to the ecotoxicological potential of mining effluents.