Publication Abstract

Assessment of estrogen exposure in cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) in relation to their proximity to an oil field.

Assessment of estrogen exposure in cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) in relation to their proximity to an oil field

A.P. Scott, S.I. Kristiansen, I. Katsiadaki, J. Thain, K.E. Tollefsen, A. Goksøyr and J. Barry

In 2001, the ‘biological effects of contaminants in pelagic ecosystems (BECPELAG)’ programme was conducted under the auspices of ICES. This was a multi-national, multi-disciplinary programme aimed at establishing suitable techniques for monitoring the effects of contaminants on pelagic ecosystems. In one initiative, cages containing cod were deployed at four stations on a ‘contaminant gradient’ in the German Bight and at four stations at varying distances from the Statfjord oil field in the North Sea. Six weeks later, the cod were retrieved and blood samples taken for measurement of the estrogenic biomarker vitellogenin. Wild saithe were also caught and bled from the Statfjord sites. The presence of vitellogenin in the blood of male (or immature female) cod or saithe would be an indication that the fish had been exposed to estrogenic compounds. This paper describes the results obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of vitellogenin in all the cod and saithe plasma samples. Two entirely different ELISA procedures were used, in separate laboratories, to measure the concentrations of vitellogenin in the cod plasma samples. The results were remarkably consistent between the laboratories. The concentrations of vitellogenin that were found in the plasma of the caged cod and the wild saithe were close to (and in many cases) below the detection limits of the assays. There were no significant differences between most of the sites. However, in males that were caged closest to the oil field, mean vitellogenin concentrations were significantly higher than in the other three stations). However, the elevation was marginal (< 0.003% of the maximum concentration of vitellogenin found in fully mature female cod). Vitellogenin concentrations in saithe were also relatively low and showed no significant differences between areas.

Reference

Scott, A. P., Kristiansen, S. I., Katsiadaki, I., Thain, J., Tollefsen, K. E. Goksøyr, A. and Barry, J. (2006) Assessment of estrogen exposure in cod (Gadus morhua) and saithe (Pollachius virens) in relation to their proximity to an oil field. pp. 329-339. In Hylland, K., Lang, T. & Vethaak, D. (Eds.) Biological effects of Contaminants in the Pelagic ecosystems. Setac Press, Brussels.

A.P. Scott*, S.I.Kristiansen, I. Katsiadaki*, J. Thain*, K.E. Tollefsen, A. Goksøyr and J. Barry

In: Hylland, K., Lang, T. & Vethaak, D. (Eds.) Biological effects of Contaminants in Marine Pelagic Ecosystems. Setac Press, Brussels. pp. 329-339.