Susceptibility of Eastern Oyster Early Life Stages to Road Surface Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of chemical compounds that are mostly anthropogenic in nature, and they can become persistent organic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Runoff from impervious surfaces is one of the many ways contaminants enter the aquatic realm. Three different PAH concentrations were used to investigate the effects on oyster-egg fertilization, embryonic transformation to the D-shell veliger larva, and larvae settlement onto hard substrate. The three different concentrations of PAHs ranged from one that is environmentally relevant to the concentrations found in runoff from road surfaces, another that was tenfold more concentrated, and finally one that was one hundred times more concentrated. The extremely concentrated solution had negative effects on fertilization success after one hour of exposure, while the lesser concentrations showed significant deleterious effects after two hours of exposure. All of the three PAH solutions caused significant numbers of abnormalities in the embryonic transformation of embryos to D-stage larvae. Finally, the two more concentrated PAH solutions significantly inhibited the oyster larvae in successfully setting on the hard substrate. This study's results provide evidence that PAHs entering an aquatic ecosystem from runoff from road surfaces have the potential to inhibit oyster reproduction by negatively impacting three critical processes in the early life cycle of the Eastern oyster.

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• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/24488
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Morgan State University

  Estuarine Research Center, 10545 Mackall Road
  Saint Leonard, MD  United States  20685

  National Center for Transportation Management, Research and Development

  Morgan State University
  1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Montebello D-206
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21251

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lacouture, Richard V
  • Larsen, Randolph K
  • Anderson, Jon T
• Publication Date: 2012-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Glossary; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aquatic life; Ecosystems; Environmental impacts; Pollutants; Runoff
• Uncontrolled Terms: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I15: Environment; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01379175
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 31 2012 1:57PM