Burrowing in the freshwater mussel Elliptio complanata is sexually dimorphic and feminized by low levels of atrazine

J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2013;76(20):1168-81. doi: 10.1080/15287394.2013.845865.

Abstract

The widely used herbicide atrazine (ATR) may have endocrine-associated adverse effects, including on behavior. In this study, 120 adult freshwater mussels, Elliptio complanata, were exposed to ATR at the environmentally relevant concentrations of 1.5, 15, or 150 μg/L. Burrowing depth was evaluated hourly for 6 h and at sacrifice animals were sexed by gonad smear. Female controls burrowed overall approximately 30% less than males, the first report of sexual dimorphism in this behavior. Atrazine at 15 μg/L feminized burrowing in both sexes, in that exposed animals burrowed 20% less than their same-sex controls. Males treated with 1.5 μg /L ATR displayed approximately 20-fold higher vitellogenin (VTG) levels than same-sex controls. Higher concentrations of ATR were not associated with increasing effects. A scatterplot showed a weak binomial curve associating low burrowing with high VTG levels. Taken together, these data suggest a nonlinear dose response in behavioral and physiological feminization produced by ATR and support the need to reconsider the widespread use of this compound.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atrazine / toxicity*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Bivalvia / drug effects*
  • Bivalvia / physiology
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Feminization / chemically induced*
  • Fresh Water
  • Gonads / drug effects*
  • Herbicides / toxicity*
  • Male
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Sex Factors
  • Vitellogenins / metabolism
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / toxicity*

Substances

  • Herbicides
  • Vitellogenins
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Atrazine