Biological Impacts in Fathead Minnow Larvae Following a 7-Day Exposure to Agricultural Runoff: A Microcosm Study

Jonathan M. Ali, Yasmine A. Farhat, Alan S. Kolok

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of agricultural runoff on growth and development in fathead minnow larvae. Identifying these impacts in the field is difficult due to the complexity of pulsatile events and the challenge of maintaining larval fish under environmental conditions. This paper presents evidence of sublethal impacts on minnow larvae, maintained in microcosms, following a 7-day exposure to agricultural runoff. Fathead minnow larvae (5-12 dph) were exposed to agricultural runoff in the Elkhorn River, NE, USA. At 28 dph, 16 days after the field exposure, river exposed larvae showed reductions in body mass and length compared to controls. Female larvae exposed to river water also showed a reduction in the expression of cyp19a compared to controls. Further research will be necessary to separate the impact of agrichemicals from that of other stressors, such as suspended sediment and daily oscillation in water temperature.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)432-437
Number of pages6
JournalBulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume96
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2016

Keywords

  • Agricultural runoff
  • Early-life stages
  • Gene expression
  • Herbicides
  • Microcosms
  • Pimphales promelas

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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