Dioxin-like Toxic Potency in Forster's Tern Eggs from Green Bay, Lake Michigan,North America

摘要

The endangered Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) population on Green Bay,Wisconsin has exhibited symptoms of embryotoxicity, congenital deformities, and poor hatching success. The putative causal agents are planar halogenated hydrocarbons (PHH). The objectives of the study were: (1) to evaluate the toxic potency of PHHs in extracts of Forster's tern eggs taken from Green Bay, Lake Michigan and a reference site, Lake Poygan, WI; and (2) to compare the toxic potencies of the egg extracts with the reproductive data available from the same water bird colonies. The relative toxic potency of the egg extracts was assessed with the H4IIE bioassay system to obtain 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ). The bioassay results presented here concur with the biological effects and chemical analyses information from other studies on the same Forster's tern colonies. (Copyright (c) 1993 Pergamon Press Ltd.)