The Ecological Consequences of

Emerging Contaminants

Jill BaronEcological Society of America

And U.S. Geological Survey

Ecosystem Services

• The conditions and processes by which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfill human life.

Daily, 1997 Nature’s Services

Ecosystem Services:Short-Term Benefits

• Drinking water• Food supply• Flood Control• Purification of human, agricultural

and industrial wastes• Habitat for plant and animal life

Ecosystem Services:Long-Term Benefits

• Sustained provision of goods and services

• Adaptive capacity to respond to future alterations and disturbances

Contaminants Interferewith ecosystem function

• By reducing the health and reproductive success of species (H)

• Perhaps by altering food web dynamics, predator prey dynamics, and nutrient cycling (L)

Ultimately, ecosystem services required by society may be

affected

Contaminants Affect Organism Health

Through Disruption of: • Neurological• Endocrine• Immune

• Reproductive• Behavioral

Processes and Functions

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28. 2002

Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki

Environmental Androgen Treated Female

elongation

total anal fin

anal fin

Normal (control) Female

anal fin

Normal (control) Male

gonopodium anal fin

total anal fin

Secondary Sex Characteristics:Masculinization of Gambusia & Environmental Androgen Exposure

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28. 2002

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

pg

/ml

ControlControlEDC-1EDC-2EDC-3

Bioindicators of Reproductive/Endocrine Function and EDC Exposure

Plasma estradiol in female fish and EDC exposure effects.

0

1000

2000

Control 25ppb 50ppb 100ppb

Atrazine

pg

/ml

in p

lasm

a

EstradiolTestosterone11-KT

Sex steroids in female largemouth bass

Atrazine may be a significant endocrine disruptor in fish

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

- River otters from Puget Sound had smaller testes and reduced baculum size and weight.

-this organ hypoplasia correlated with organochlorines, PCBs, dioxins & furans.

- work is continuing to ID chemical causes and mode of action.

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

Catfish with deformities (above)and tumors (right)

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

Atlantic salmon exposed to low levels of pesticides and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in their freshwater juvenile stage may have reduced survival at sea. Atrazine reduces fish ability to physiologically adapt to saline conditions,causing mortality. Bay of Fundy atlantic salmon populations are only 1% of historical numbers, whilepesticides and other organic chemicals are highfrom agricultural runoff.

W. Fairchild, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

from Porter, et al. 1999, Toxicol. and Indust. Health

Physiological Disruption Propagates up to Higher Levels

Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total

Biovolume

• Algal Genus– Navicula– Aphanacapsa– Synedra– Sphaerocystis– Chlamydomonas

Control Triclosan

Loss of Rare Genera

Wilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total

Biovolume

• Algal Genus– Navicula– Aphanacapsa– Synedra– Sphaerocystis– Chlamydomonas

Control Ciprofloxin

Increase in Synedra (diatom)

Wilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

Non-Effluent Stream Percentage of Total

Biovolume

• Algal Genus– Navicula– Aphanacapsa– Synedra– Sphaerocystis– Chlamydomonas

Control Tergitol

Switch to dominance by cyanobacteriaWilson, Smith, deNoyelles, Larive, Univ. KS

A Simplified Lake Food Web

Fish Zooplankton

Phytoplankton

Benthic Invertebrates

Benthic Algae

.. . ... . .. .. Bacteria

Ciliates & Flagellates

Summary

• Some compounds affect physiology at extremely low concentrations.

• We know hardly anything about the toxicology of most new chemicals on plants and animals.

• We know less than that about effects to populations, communities, ecosystems.

Near Gary, Indiana

Program Review, Feb. 25 – 28, 2002

Summary

• Emerging contaminants are an area of concern in addition to contaminants that are somewhat better studied: nutrients (N & P), PCBs, metals.

Contaminants as One of Many Environmental Stressors

Contaminants act on species in concert with other human-driven disturbances: climate change, non-native species invasions, land use change, altered hydrologic patterns, other contaminants.

Land-use changeAir PollutionBiodiversity lossInvasive SpeciesAcid deposition

Climate ChangeWater PollutionIncreased UV

We know very little

about how contaminants affect organisms and ecosystems,

either alone, with other contaminants, or in conjunction

with other environmental stresses.

Applied and Aquatic Ecology Sections of the Ecological Society of America

Thanks to:

USGS Biological Resources Division Contaminants Program Review

Team