Physiological, reproductive and pathological effects of dietary bleached pulp mill effluent on mink (Mustela vison).
1995
Smits J.E.G. | Wobeser G.A. | Schiefer H.B.
In this study mink (Mustela vison) were exposed to whole bleached-kraft mill effluent (BKME) through their diets. The investigation examined clinical, biochemical, induction of hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, one-generational reproductive, and pathological effects on mink exposed to BKME through water containing 25% effluent, and diet containing 75% (pilot and first subchronic study) fish caught downstream of the BKME discharge point of the pulp mill. In a 6-week pilot study, no adverse effects were found on behavioral, gross pathological, histopathological, hematological, or biochemical variables tested. In an 8-month exposure study, no significant effects on these parameters, or on gestation, kit birth weight, kit survival, libido, estrus, sperm quality, or hormone levels were found. This was followed by a second 8-month study using double the number of mink (30 BKME-exposed, 30 controls), and modified dietary formulations. Whole fish was decreased to 45%, and 15% softwood-run BKME was added to the food. In this study, the liver somatic index was greater in exposed males (p = 0.068) than in control males. Hepatic EROD activity was 1.8 times greater in exposed female (p = 0.0001) and 2.0 times greater in exposed male (p = 0.0004) mink compared with controls.
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