Combined effects of increased temperature and endocrine disrupting pollutants on sex determination, survival, and development across generations

Understanding the combined effects of anthropogenic impacts such as climate change and pollution on aquatic ecosystems is critical. However, little is known about how predicted temperature increases may affect the activity of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), particularly in species with plasti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2017-08, Vol.7 (1), p.9310-9, Article 9310
Main Authors: DeCourten, Bethany M., Brander, Susanne M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Anthropogenic factors
Aquatic ecosystems
Climate change
Embryos
Endocrine disruptors
Ethinylestradiol
High temperature
Humanities and Social Sciences
Insecticides
multidisciplinary
Offspring
Pollutants
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sex determination
Spawning
Temperature
Temperature effects
Xenoestrogens
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Summary:Understanding the combined effects of anthropogenic impacts such as climate change and pollution on aquatic ecosystems is critical. However, little is known about how predicted temperature increases may affect the activity of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), particularly in species with plasticity in sex determination. We investigated the effects of a concomitant increase in temperature and exposure to estrogenic EDCs on reproduction and development in an estuarine model organism (Menidia beryllina) across multiple generations. Parents (P) were exposed to environmental levels of the estrogenic insecticide bifenthrin or ethinylestradiol (EE2) at 22 °C and 28 °C for 14 days prior to the initiation of spawning trials. Embryos in the F1 generation were exposed to EDCs until 21 days post hatch (dph), reared to adulthood in clean water at elevated temperatures, and spawned. F1 sex ratios were significantly influenced by elevated temperature and EDCs, potentially altering adaptive development. We also observed fewer viable offspring and increased developmental deformities in the F1 and F2 generations, with a greater impact on F2 juveniles. These findings enhance our understanding of responses to EDCs in the context of climate change and may demonstrate heritable effects. Our study represents the first multigenerational assessment of elevated temperatures in combination with environmentally relevant concentrations of commonly detected endocrine disruptors in a model vertebrate species.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-09631-1