Julie Denham
Prof. Staci Simonich,
Department of Chemistry and
Environmental Molecular Toxicology
Oregon State University
HHMI 2009

Industrially made in the early 1930’s

Short term affects eliminated agricultural
problem

Persistent contaminants toxic to
ecosystems

Linked to diseases, abnormalities, and
endocrine disruption

Accumulate in the ecosystem

Undergo atmospheric transport

Volatilize at high temperatures and condense at
lower temperatures

Settle remote high altitude ecosystems
Contamination
source
Release into
environment
Transport
Partitions into
ecosystem
Water
Soil
Tissue
Atmosphere
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/glat-ch4.html

Fractionate into lipids

Concentrations increase
through food web

Fish are a useful tool of
which POPs are present in
the environment and the
impacts they have on
specific ecosystems
http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~simmons/16cm05/1116/54-25-DDTInFoodChain-L.jpg.
A hormone imbalance of intersex
characteristics and increased vitellogenin
levels in males
 Intersex- an abnormality that can be found
in animals containing both sexual
reproductive organs
 Vitellogenin (VG)- a protein synthesized in
the liver in reaction to excess estrogen
levels
- precursor for egg-yolk synthesis

Developing
vitellogenic eggs
Spermatocysts with spermatogonia
Reproductive Abnormalities in Trout from
Western U.S. National Parks. Schwindt, A.
R., et al.
Previous research
showed:
•
Signs of intersex fish
in Rocky Mountain
Nat. Park
• Pesticide
concentrations
highest among the
Western National
parks
•Black Circles Containing white numbers represent 2003-2006 sampling
• White circles are historic samples collected from 1800’s- 1934
Reproductive Abnormalities in Trout from Western U.S. National Parks. Schwindt, A. R., et al.
•
Highest
Concentration
•
One currently in use
•
Four compounds are
xenoestrogens
p,p-DDE
Dieldrin
trans-Nonachlor
PCB’s
Dacthal
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
Endosulfan Sulfate

Xenoestrogens organic compounds
that have estrogen
like affects
• Not produced as a
natural hormone
p,p-DDE
Dieldrin
• Cause excess
vitellogenin
concentrations
PCB’s
Endosulfan Sulfate

Measure POPs in fish samples collected
previously

To interpret the POP concentrations in
the fish with respect to intersex.

The accumulation of persistent organic
pollutants in male trout of remote high
altitude lakes caused intersex
characteristics.
Fish
Homogenate
X g Fish + X g
Na2SO4
Extraction
of analytes
(ASE)
Removal of
polar
compounds
(SPE)
Fraction 1
Fraction 2
(target analytes)
(archived for recovery)
Gel permeation
chromatography
Fraction A:
lipid archive
Fraction B: target
analytes
Quantification of
target analytes
GCMS
Use of certified Standard Reference
Material (SRM)
 SRM is certified by NIST to have a known
value of pesticides
 Used in analytical methods for precision
and accuracy
 SRM 1946
- Lake Superior Trout tissue
- Certified concentrations for chlorinated
pesticides and PCBs

 Performed
 Average
in Triplicate
concentrations of triplicate
data were compared to the known
quantities in SRM samples
- standard deviation of Triplicate vs.
SRM known values
-In SRM and previous studies from Rocky
Mountain National Park
p,p-DDE
Dieldrin
trans-Nonachlor
PCB’s
Dacthal
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

Finish extracting pesticides from
intersex and control male fish

Analysis on GC/MS to quantify the
concentrations of POPs

Use of statistical correlations between
the POPs and intersex to determine if a
relationship exists
Dr. Staci Simonich
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Simonich labJill, Jessica, Wentao, Carlos, Leah, On, &
Dr. Steve Sylvester
Dr. Kevin Ahern
National Park Service
Oregon State University Department of EMT
Family and Friends