Environmental ScienceReseaRch PaPeRVolume : 3 | Issue : 8 | Aug 2013 | ISSN - 2249-555XImpact of Paper Mill Effluent on ReproductivePhysiology of Teleost Fish: a Mini ReviewKeywordseffluent, endocrine disruption, sex steroid, gonadsSangeeta Dey Suchismita DasDepartment of Life Science and BioInformatics, AssamDepartment of Life Science and BioInformatics, AssamUniversity, Silchar, IndiaUniversity, Silchar, IndiaABSTRACTThe effluents from pulp and paper mills are highly toxic and are a major source of aquatic pollution. Manychemicals have been identified in effluents which are produced at different stages of papermaking which areknown to be endocrine disrupting besides being carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic. The major concern for papermill effluents is its potential for affecting fish reproductive physiology like reductions in sex steroid hormone levels, gonadsize, fecundity and delayed sexual maturity and even male-biased sex ratios among fish embryos. It is predicted that theendocrine modulating compounds may interact with steroid hormones and their receptors, or other hormones and tran-scription factors in the biochemical pathway of hormonal activity. Pulp mill effluents contain ligands for nuclear sex steroidreceptors and the plasma sex steroidbinding protein, thereby having the potential to affect steroid hormone signaling andtransport in fish.Introductionnon persistent compounds, capable of altering the endocrineTeleost fish reproduction is an intricate and well coordinatedsystem of fish, and include natural wood components suchphenomenon based on hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadalas fatty acids, resin acids and plant sterols. Several reportsaxis. Hormones cause gonadal growth, maturation andhave implicated -sitosterol and genistein, plant products, asbreeding in teleost with strong support from endogenousa possible significant factor contributing to the reproductiverhythm of reproductive physiology in the form of photoper-effects observed in fish exposed to paper mill effluents (Cookiod, rainfall, temperature and nutritional status. Secretionset al., 1997; Kiparissis et al. 2001).of trophic (GtH) and gonadal hormones play prime role inthis axis. Yet other internal and external factors includingEndocrine disruption in fishhormones (TSH, prolactin), sex pheromones, social quos andNumber of species of fish such as white sucker, Catosto-even xenobiotic compounds exert modulating effect in thismus commersoni (Munkittrick et al., 1999, Parrott et al.,axis directly or indirectly. The last mentioned substances are1999); gold fish, (McMaster et al., 1996), mummichog,manmade, non biodegradable or degrade very slowly and(Dub and MacLatchy, 2000), zebrafish (rn et al., 2001),can be pesticides (Singh et al. 2003) or industrial dischargesperch, Perca fluviatilis (Sandstrm and Neuman 2003); andor even paper mill effluents (Burton et al. 2007).fat head minnow (Lowell et al.,2004) living downstream ofpulp- and paper-mill effluents have been found to exhibitBased on numerous international studies, it is now ascer-an array of altered features in their reproductive develop-tained that pulp and paper mill effluents have the potentialment, including reductions in gonadal growth, inhibitionto affect fish reproduction. Needless to say that the reducedof spermatogenesis, depressed sex steroids, induction offish population and large scale fish mortality in water bod-hepatic mixed-function oxidase (MFO) activities, reducedies, in the mill vicinity, is due to the deleterious effect of millpituitary hormone concentrations, and delayed sexual ma-effluent.turity. In the studies on perch viability of the developinglarvae was also affected (Sandstrm and Neuman 2003).Paper mill effluent and teleost reproductionLowered egg production and delayed reproduction haveImpairment of reproductive fitness in fish exposed to pulpalso been induced in fathead minnows in life-long expo-and paper mill effluents is one of the most well document-sures to bleached kraft mill effluents (BKMEs) (Borton et al.ed cases of wildlife endocrine disruption (McMaster, 2001).2001). Furthermore, the endocrine changes seen in wild fishEffects documented since the late 1980s at sites where in-are less severe during periods of reduced effluent dischargedepth reproductive studies have been conducted includeand decrease with increasing distance from the effluentreductions in gonadal size, reduced fecundity, increased ageoutfalls into the rivers. There is, thus, very strong evidenceto maturity, diminished secondary sex characteristics and de-to suggest that something in the BKME is causing the ad-creased circulating levels of reproductive sex steroids (Mc-verse effects seen. In vitro studies suggest that mixtures ofMaster et al. 1991, 1992, 1996, Munkittrick et al. 1991, 1992,both estrogenic (e.g., -sitosterol, lignans, stilbenes, and1998, Van Der Kraak, 1998 & Van Der Kraak et al. 1992).resin acids) and androgenic chemicals (e.g., stigmastanolIt is widely recognized that certain chemicals possess theand a -sitosterol degradation products), together with Ah-potential ability of modulating the endocrine systems, andreceptor agonists (e.g., polychlorinated dibenzofurans andthereby interfere with reproduction and developmental pro-thianthrenes, dibenzothiphenes, and diphenyl sulfides), arecesses (Singh et al. 2003). Co relational evidence is derivedfound in these effluents, and these studies are supportedfrom wildlife and laboratory studies associating reproductiveby in vivo studies that show that fish, living in the vicinity ofand developmental problems in fishes (such as feminizationBKME discharges, rapidly accumulate chemicals that bindof males, lower fertility and higher progeny mortality) withto the estrogen receptor, androgen receptor, and sex ster-exposure to high concentrations of synthetic environmen-oid binding protein (Parrott et al. 2006). Although it has nottal estrogens, for example, feminization and masculinizationbeen possible to link endocrine disruption (leading to del-of fish from water bodies receiving discharges of industrialeterious effects on reproduction and development) in theseeffluents. Abnormal levels of circulating steroid hormonesvarious species of fish to a specific chemical or group ofhave been reported in fish exposed to pulp and paper millchemicals, it is clear that the endocrine effects are clearlyeffluents (McMaster et al. 1992). Paper mill effluents possesslinked to the constituents of pulp-mill effluents.54XINDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH ReseaRch PaPeRVolume : 3 | Issue : 8 | Aug 2013 | ISSN - 2249-555XDecreased production of gonadal sex steroids1980). Since the development of a gonopodium is androgen-Abnormal levels of circulating steroid hormones have beendependent, it has been suggested that the observed mas-reported in fish exposed to pulp and paper mill effluents (Mc-culinization was due to exposure to androgenic substances.Master et al. 1992). Endocrine modulating compounds, bothIn fact, it was demonstrated later on by using bioassays thatenvironmental and endogenous, may interact with steroidthe pulp mill effluents exhibited androgenic activity. Anotherhormones and their receptors, or other hormones and tran-example of an environmental androgen inducing mascu-scription factors in the biochemical pathway of hormonal ac-linization responses is the growth promoter trenbolone ac-tivity. -Sitosterol, a phytosterol present in PME, binds weaklyetate and its metabolite 17-trenbolone, which is found into hepatic estrogen receptor (ER) and weakly induces plas-feedlot effluents. They reported masculinization involving ama vitellogenin in fish exposed (Tremblay & Van Der Kraak,total natural population of Gambusia holbrooki inhabiting a1998). Male brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) injected with stream receiving paper-mill effluents (Wilson et al. 2002). Oc--sitosterol exhibited up to 36% decreases in plasma choles-currences of male sex characteristics in female fathead min-terol after 2021 d (Gilman et al. 2003). While male goldfishnows, or female sex characteristics in male fathead minnowsimplanted with -sitosterol exhibited >50% decrease in preg-as was reported in pulp mill effluent exposures by Parrott etnenolone production by gonadal mitochondria (Leusch &al. (2004) and Rickwood et al. (2006). Borton et al. (2000) sawMacLatchy 2003). Similarly, newly hatched Japanese medakaa delay in the development of secondary sex characteristics(Oryzias latipes) exposed to high concentrations of genistein,in fathead minnows exposed to high concentrations of BKMEa plant isoflavonoid, exhibited altered secondary sex char-from a mill located in the U.S.A.acteristics and abnormal gonadal development (Kiparissis etal. 2001).ConclusionThe intricate balance in hypothalamo-hypophyseal-gonadalMasculinization in fishaxis of teleost reproduction can be derailed by external dis-Effluents from pulp and paper mills displayed androgenicturbances in the form of pulp and paper mill effluents. Basedactivity, often with sufficient potency to masculinize and/on abundant international studies, it is now ascertained thator sex reverse female fish (Howell et al. 1980; Parks et al.pulp and paper mill effluents have the potential to affect fish2001). The induction of male secondary sexual characteris-reproduction. Needless to say that the reduced fish popu-tic, namely the development of a male-like gonopodium inlation and large scale fish mortality in the rivers, in the millfemale mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki) in the vicin-vicinity, can be due to the deleterious effect of mill effluent.ity of a pulp mill in Florida has been reported (Howell et al.REFERENCEB o r t on, D L St r eb lo w, W R B ous q uet , T & Coo k , DL 20 00, Fat he ad minn ow (P ime ph ale s p r ome las ) r e pr o du c t io n d ur in g mu lt i - ge ner at i on li fe -c y c le t e st s w it h k r af t mi ll e fflu ent s , in R uo pp a M, P ass iv i r t a J , Le ht i nen K J , R uon ala S. 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