Meeting Abstract
Nonlyphenol is an organic compound used in detergents, pesticides and lubricants. It is a ubiquitous pollutant of both terrestrial and aquatic biospheres. Nonetheless, the majority of studies on pollutants and their effects on animals have been done on vertebrates, yet invertebrates make up over 95% of all animals on the planet. Crayfish are a model invertebrate as they serve as a base resource in many ecosystems’ food webs. Procambarus acutus crayfish were exposed to varying concentrations of nonylphenol for 24 to 72-hours for short-term exposure, and up to 33 days for a more long-term exposure. Toxicological assays were used to demonstrate the lethal concentration of nonylphenol to crayfish when present in the water. When approaching a concentration of 0.6μL of nonylphenol per liter of water, crayfish began to succumb to the effects and did not survive. The LC50 for crayfish appears to be between 0.75-0.90μL/L, well below the current EPA standard. At a concentration of 1.2μL/L, 100% of exposed crayfish expired. At sub-lethal exposure levels, we performed behavioral trials measuring crayfishes’ ability to find food, which is an indication of olfactory function. Nonylphenol exposures resulted in significant impairment compared to control crayfish when orienting to a food source. Furthermore, recovery trials revealed that impairment due to nonylphenol exposure was persistent two weeks after exposure to minimal concentrations. These results indicate sub-lethal nonylphenol exposure impairs the ability of crayfish to find food and perhaps detect other biologically relevant odors.
