Imposex in whelks (Buccinum undatum) from the open North Sea: Relation to shipping traffic intensities

doi:10.1016/0025-326X(94)90156-2

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Volume 28, Issue 5, May 1994, Pages 311-313

https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-326X(94)90156-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Imposex in female whelks (Buccinum undatum L.) from the open North Sea is reported for the first time. The frequency of occurrence of a penis homologue and the mean length of this homologue increased with shipping intensity. Twenty years ago whelks from the area did not show signs of imposex.

References (12)

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The impact of tributyltin from large vessels on dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) populations around Scottish oil ports
Mar. Environ. Research
(1991)
Scheepvaartverkeer Noordzee, beleidsnota ‘Op koers’
S.J.M. Blaber
The occurrence of a penis-like outgrowth behind the right tentacle in spent females of Nucella lapillus (L.)
G.W. Bryan et al.
The decline of the gastropod Nucella lapillus around south-west England: evidence for the effect of tributyltin from antifouling paints
J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK
(1986)
G.W. Bryan et al.
The effects of tributyltin (TBT) accumulation on adult dog-whelks, Nucella lapillus: long-term field and laboratory experiments
J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK
(1987)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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The ecotoxicology of marine tributyltin (TBT) hotspots: A review
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Citation Excerpt :
OSPAR CEMP (2009) developed a six-class quality scheme (class A-F) for assessing TBT-specific biological effects in five marine gastropods (Nucella, Nassarius, Buccinum, Neptunea, Littorina spp), including effect parameters (imposex/intersex) and TBT contamination data for seawater and sediments to enable an integrated (exposure-effect) assessment in these bioindicators. Many marine TBT effect monitoring programs conducted later than the early 1990s have documented the existence of TBT pollution and neogastropod imposex effects in coastline seas in all continents, i.e., in Europe (Ten Hallers-Tjabbes et al., 1994; Følsvik et al., 1999; Svavarsson, 2000; Svavarsson et al., 2001; Chiavarini et al., 2003; Vasconcelos et al., 2010; Laranjeiro et al., 2018), Africa (Marshall and Rajkumar, 2003), Asia (Horiguchi et al., 1994, 1997; Tan, 1997; Bech, 2002), Oceania (Smith, 1996), North America (Gooding et al., 2003), and South America (Gooding et al., 1999). The imposex effect monitoring programs have most often targeted N. lapillus as the monitoring organism due to its cosmopolitan distribution and its extreme sensitivity and vulnerability to TBT.
Tributyltin (TBT) was widely used as a highly efficient biocide in antifouling paints for ship and boat hulls. Eventually, TBT containing paints became globally banned when TBT was found to cause widespread contamination and non-target adverse effects in sensitive species, with induced pseudohermaphroditism in female neogastropods (imposex) being the best-known example. In this review, we address the history and the status of knowledge regarding TBT pollution and marine TBT hotspots, with a special emphasis on the Norwegian coastline. The review also presents a brief update on knowledge of TBT toxicity in various marine species and humans, highlighting the current understanding of toxicity mechanisms relevant for causing endocrine disruption in marine species. Despite observations of reduced TBT sediment concentrations in many marine sediments over the recent decades, contaminant hotspots are still prevalent worldwide. Consequently, efforts to monitor TBT levels and assessment of potential effects in sentinel species being potentially susceptible to TBT in these locations are still highly warranted.
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Metal smelting and combustion processes are major anthropogenic sources for the emission of metals to the atmosphere. Metals emitted this way are generally bound in small particles with the potential for atmospheric long-range transport and contamination. Sediments are the ultimate sink for metals emitted to the aquatic environment; this is most evident in coastal and estuarine sediments. Besides direct emissions, man-made environmental changes such as acidification, oxygen depletion, and draining of waterlogged areas may mobilize metals not otherwise available to organisms. The speciation of metals is an important determinant for their bioavailability, uptake, and toxicity in the environment. Organisms have developed a wide range of mechanisms for the internal handling and storage of essential and/or toxic metals. No metal other than mercury is consistently biomagnified along food chains. In the environment, the most adverse impacts of metals (on populations) have been caused by organic tin compounds used in antifouling paints and aluminum mobilized by acid rain. High concentrations of organic mercury and cadmium in certain organisms may cause concerns for the health of human populations that rely heavily on their use as food items.
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Metal smelting and combustion processes are major anthropogenic sources for the emission of metals to the atmosphere. Metals emitted this way are generally bound in small particles with the potential for atmospheric long-range transport and contamination. Sediments are the ultimate sink for metals emitted to the aquatic environment; this is most evident in coastal and estuarine sediments. Besides direct emissions, man-made environmental changes such as acidification, oxygen depletion, and draining of waterlogged areas may mobilize metals not otherwise available to organisms. The speciation of metals is an important determinant for their bioavailability, uptake, and toxicity in the environment. Organisms have developed a wide range of mechanisms for the internal handling and storage of essential and/or toxic metals. No metal other than mercury is consistently biomagnified along food chains. In the environment, the most adverse impacts of metals (on populations) have been caused by organic tin compounds used in antifouling paints and aluminum mobilized by acid rain. High concentrations of organic mercury and cadmium in certain organisms may cause concerns for the health of human populations that rely heavily on their use as food items.
Ecotoxicology of Metals-Sources, Transport, and Effects on the Ecosystem
2015, Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals: Fourth Edition
Metal-smelting and combustion processes are the major anthropogenic sources for the emission of metals to the atmosphere. Metals emitted this way are generally bound in small particles with the potential for atmospheric long-range transport and contamination. Sediments are the ultimate sink for metals emitted to the aquatic environment; this is most evident in coastal and estuarine sediments. Besides direct emissions, man-made environmental changes such as acidification, oxygen depletion, and draining of waterlogged areas may mobilize metals not otherwise available to organisms. The speciation of metals is an important determinant for their bioavailability, uptake, and toxicity in the environment. Organisms have developed a wide range of mechanisms for the internal handling and storage of essential and/or toxic metals. No metal other than mercury is consistently biomagnified along food chains. In the environment, the most adverse impacts of metals (on populations) have been caused by organic tin compounds used in antifouling paints and aluminum mobilized by acid rain. High concentrations of organic mercury and cadmium in certain organisms may cause concerns for the health of human populations that rely heavily on their use as food items.
Ecotoxicology of Metals—Sources, Transport, and Effects on the Ecosystem
2014, Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals
Metal-smelting and combustion processes are the major anthropogenic sources for the emission of metals to the atmosphere. Metals emitted this way are generally bound in small particles with the potential for atmospheric long-range transport and contamination. Sediments are the ultimate sink for metals emitted to the aquatic environment; this is most evident in coastal and estuarine sediments. Besides direct emissions, man-made environmental changes such as acidification, oxygen depletion, and draining of waterlogged areas may mobilize metals not otherwise available to organisms. The speciation of metals is an important determinant for their bioavailability, uptake, and toxicity in the environment. Organisms have developed a wide range of mechanisms for the internal handling and storage of essential and/or toxic metals. No metal other than mercury is consistently biomagnified along food chains. In the environment, the most adverse impacts of metals (on populations) have been caused by organic tin compounds used in antifouling paints and aluminum mobilized by acid rain. High concentrations of organic mercury and cadmium in certain organisms may cause concerns for the health of human populations that rely heavily on their use as food items.

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The research was supported by the Netherlands Marine Research Foundation (SOZ) of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), the Directorate General for Environmental Protection of the Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment, and the project ‘Policy-linked Ecological Research of the North Sea’ (BEON).

This is publication no. 59 of the Applied Science Project of NIOZ.

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Marine Pollution Bulletin

Abstract

References (12)

The impact of tributyltin from large vessels on dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus) populations around Scottish oil ports

Mar. Environ. Research

Scheepvaartverkeer Noordzee, beleidsnota ‘Op koers’

The occurrence of a penis-like outgrowth behind the right tentacle in spent females of Nucella lapillus (L.)

The decline of the gastropod Nucella lapillus around south-west England: evidence for the effect of tributyltin from antifouling paints

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

The effects of tributyltin (TBT) accumulation on adult dog-whelks, Nucella lapillus: long-term field and laboratory experiments

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

Cited by (162)

Emerging marine environmental pollution and ecosystem disturbance in ship hull cleaning for biofouling removal

The ecotoxicology of marine tributyltin (TBT) hotspots: A review

Ecotoxicology of metals-sources, transport, and effects on the ecosystem

Ecotoxicology of metals-sources, transport, and effects on the ecosystem

Ecotoxicology of Metals-Sources, Transport, and Effects on the Ecosystem

Ecotoxicology of Metals—Sources, Transport, and Effects on the Ecosystem

ReportImposex in whelks (Buccinum undatum) from the open North Sea: Relation to shipping traffic intensities☆

Abstract

Mar. Environ. Research

Scheepvaartverkeer Noordzee, beleidsnota ‘Op koers’

The occurrence of a penis-like outgrowth behind the right tentacle in spent females of Nucella lapillus (L.)

The decline of the gastropod Nucella lapillus around south-west England: evidence for the effect of tributyltin from antifouling paints

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

The effects of tributyltin (TBT) accumulation on adult dog-whelks, Nucella lapillus: long-term field and laboratory experiments

J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK

Report
Imposex in whelks (Buccinum undatum) from the open North Sea: Relation to shipping traffic intensities☆