Meeting Abstract
Amphibian populations have been declining, with possible contributions being anthropogenic activities that may elevate concentrations of environmental contaminants such as metals. As amphibians play vital roles in transferring nutrients and energy from aquatic to terrestrial environments, declines in populations have the potential to impact ecosystems. Using Ambystoma maculatum, a common mole salamander throughout the eastern part of the United States, to monitor effects from exposure to arsenic and chromium may be advantageous as these salamanders breed in vernal pools that may be contaminated. In the current study, larvae exposed to arsenic and chromium showed increasing mortality, malformation, and genotoxic responses from increasing exposure, while growth responses decreased with increasing exposure. Exposure to a mixture of arsenic : chromium resulted in significantly more DNA damage at lower concentrations than individual exposure to these contaminants, indicating a greater risk to developing salamander larvae in areas contaminated with both arsenic and chromium.
