Meeting Abstract

14.3  Sunday, Jan. 4  Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Contamination by Endocrine-Disrupting Alkylphenols in the Blood of the American Lobster, Homerus americanus JACOBS, M.W. *; LAUFER, H.; STUART, J.S.; CHEN, M.; PAN, X.; Univ. of Connecticut; Univ. of Connecticut; Univ. of Connecticut; Univ. of Connecticut; Kunming Univ. of Science & Technology molly.jacobs@uconn.edu

Alkylphenols are vertebrate estrogenic endocrine disruptors widely used in manufacturing of plastics, detergents, and many other products. Environmental contamination by these chemicals and their breakdown products in rivers, oceans, and sediments is well known and widespread. We isolated four alkylphenols from the blood and tissues of lobsters from New England waters. In a survey of lobsters from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, we found at least one alkylphenol in the blood of 223 of 630 lobsters (35%). Contamination varied geographically: 58% in lobsters from western Long Island Sound, 17% from central Long Island Sound, 32% from eastern Long Island Sound, 29% from Rhode Island, and 26% from Massachusetts. Different alkylphenols display different geographic distributions. Contamination levels for all areas combined decreased significantly between 2001 and 2008, although levels varied geographically and by compound. We have previously shown that all four compounds are endocrine disruptors with crustacean juvenile hormone activity. We also have strong evidence that alkylphenols weaken lobster shells by interfering with sclerotization and tanning after molting. Weaker shells may increase mortality during molting or susceptibility to diseases such as shell disease. Our results show that this risk to lobster stocks (and the potential for remediation) varies both spatially and temporally in New England.