Sub-ethal effects of atrazine on Japanese medaka fish

CHED 1133

Jordan Theriot, jctheriot@gmail.com1, Carla B. Rosales, crosales@uno.edu2, Bernard B. Rees, brees@uno.edu2, and Matthew A. Tarr, mtarr@uno.edu3. (1) Advanced Materials Research Institute, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, (2) Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148, (3) Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148
The herbicide atrazine could have severe impacts on organisms exposed to contaminated runoff. The EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for atrazine is 3 ppb. We observed atrazine's effect on embryonic development, hatching, and mortality rates of the Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Fertilized eggs were exposed to 1-25 ppm atrazine and monitored daily for one month. Rearing solutions were removed every six days to verify atrazine levels, which did not change appreciably over the duration of the experiment. Hatching of embryos was delayed relative to controls at all levels of atrazine tested. A low frequency of abnormal cardiovascular and morphological development and higher embryonic mortality were observed in medaka exposed to 10 ppm and 25 ppm atrazine. Thus, subtle (delayed hatching) and dramatic (morphological abnormalities and mortality) effects on development were observed at atrazine levels of 1 to 25 ppm, approximately 3 orders of magnitude higher than the EPA MCL.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Environmental Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008