Bigger and bolder: Widespread agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone increases growth and alters behaviour in tadpoles (Litoria ewingii)

Orford, Jack T.; Tan, Hung; Tingley, Reid; Alton, Lesley A.; Wong, Bob B. M.; Martin, Jake M.

doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106577

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…One potential explanation for the differences between this study and the present experiment is the dosage of 17β-trenbolone used, with Li et al (2015) exposing tadpoles to 10,000 ng/L, a concentration far exceeding those recorded in the environment (Ankley et al, 2018). Another potential explanation is that species-specific responses to chemical pollutants have been repeatedly observed in amphibians, with behavioural responses of different species following exposure to the same concentration of chemical pollutant differing in terms of both magnitude and direction (discussed further in Orford et al, 2023). The results in this experiment also contrast with existing literature on fish, which found that exposure to 17β-trenbolone can result in changes to both morphology and behaviour (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Impacts of exposure to UV radiation and an agricultural pollutant on morphology and behaviour of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

Orford,

Tan,

Martin

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class globally, with many species at risk of extinction. Multiple factors have been implicated in the global decline of amphibian populations, and it has been hypothesised that interactions between these stressors may be responsible for such rapid declines. Increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation as a result of ozone depletion has been identified as one such stressor. Exposure to UV radiation has been shown to have detrimental effects on amphibian survival, development, and behaviour. UV radiation has also been shown to exacerbate the effects of other stressors, such as chemical pollutants. Chemical pollution has been recognised as another major factor contributing to amphibian declines, particularly, endocrine-disrupting chemicals. 17β-trenbolone is a potent anabolic steroid used in the agricultural industry to increase muscle mass in cattle, and has been repeatedly detected in the environment where amphibians live and breed. At high concentrations, 17β-trenbolone exposure has been shown to impact amphibian survival and gonadal development. In the present study, we investigated the effects of one-month exposure to environmentally realistic levels of UV radiation and 17β-trenbolone, both in isolation and in combination, on the morphology and behaviour of spotted marsh frog tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). We found that neither stressor in isolation affected the morphology or behaviour of tadpoles, nor did we find any interactive effects. The results from our 17β-trenbolone treatment are consistent with recent research suggesting that, at environmentally realistic concentrations, tadpoles may be less vulnerable to this pollutant compared to other vertebrate classes (e.g. fish). The absence of UV radiation-induced effects found in this study could be due to species-specific variation in susceptibility to UV radiation, as well as the UV dosage utilised in the present study. We suggest future research incorporates long-term studies using multiple stressors at environmentally realistic levels to accurately identify the threats, and subsequent consequences, that amphibians face in natural conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

Impacts of exposure to UV radiation and an agricultural pollutant on morphology and behaviour of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

Orford,

Tan,

Martin

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One potential explanation for the differences between their study and the present study is the dosage of 17β-trenbolone used, with Li et al (2015) exposing tadpoles to 10,000 ng/L, a concentration far exceeding those recorded in the environment (Ankley et al, 2018). Another potential explanation is that species-specific responses to chemical pollutants have been repeatedly observed in amphibians, with behavioral responses of different species following exposure to the same concentration of chemical pollutant differing in terms of both magnitude and direction (discussed further in Orford et al, 2023). The results of the present study also contrast with existing literature on fish, which found that exposure to 17β-trenbolone can result in changes to both morphology and behavior (see Baumann et al, 2014;Bertram et al, 2018;Tan et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Impacts of Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation and an Agricultural Pollutant on Morphology and Behavior of Tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

Orford,

Tan,

Martin

et al. 2024

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class globally. Multiple factors have been implicated in their global decline, and it has been hypothesized that interactions between stressors may be a major cause. Increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation, as a result of ozone depletion, has been identified as one such stressor. Exposure to UV radiation has been shown to have detrimental effects on amphibians and can exacerbate the effects of other stressors, such as chemical pollutants. Chemical pollution has likewise been recognized as a major factor contributing to amphibian declines, particularly, endocrine‐disrupting chemicals. In this regard, 17β‐trenbolone is a potent anabolic steroid used in the agricultural industry to increase muscle mass in cattle and has been repeatedly detected in the environment where amphibians live and breed. At high concentrations, 17β‐trenbolone has been shown to impact amphibian survival and gonadal development. In the present study, we investigated the effects of environmentally realistic UV radiation and 17β‐trenbolone exposure, both in isolation and in combination, on the morphology and behavior of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). We found that neither stressor in isolation affected tadpoles, nor did we find any interactive effects. The results from our 17β‐trenbolone treatment are consistent with recent research suggesting that, at environmentally realistic concentrations, tadpoles may be less vulnerable to this pollutant compared to other vertebrate classes. The absence of UV radiation–induced effects found in the present study could be due to species‐specific variation in susceptibility, as well as the dosage utilized. We suggest that future research should incorporate long‐term studies with multiple stressors to accurately identify the threats to, and subsequent consequences for, amphibians under natural conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1–12. © 2024 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

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EthoCRED: a framework to guide reporting and evaluation of the relevance and reliability of behavioural ecotoxicity studies

Bertram,

Ågerstrand,

Thoré

et al. 2024

Biological Reviews

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Behavioural analysis has been attracting significant attention as a broad indicator of sub‐lethal toxicity and has secured a place as an important subdiscipline in ecotoxicology. Among the most notable characteristics of behavioural research, compared to other established approaches in sub‐lethal ecotoxicology (e.g. reproductive and developmental bioassays), are the wide range of study designs being used and the diversity of endpoints considered. At the same time, environmental hazard and risk assessment, which underpins regulatory decisions to protect the environment from potentially harmful chemicals, often recommends that ecotoxicological data be produced following accepted and validated test guidelines. These guidelines typically do not address behavioural changes, meaning that these, often sensitive, effects are not represented in hazard and risk assessments. Here, we propose a new tool, the EthoCRED evaluation method, for assessing the relevance and reliability of behavioural ecotoxicity data, which considers the unique requirements and challenges encountered in this field. This method and accompanying reporting recommendations are designed to serve as an extension of the “Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating Ecotoxicity Data (CRED)” project. As such, EthoCRED can both accommodate the wide array of experimental design approaches seen in behavioural ecotoxicology, and could be readily implemented into regulatory frameworks as deemed appropriate by policy makers of different jurisdictions to allow better integration of knowledge gained from behavioural testing into environmental protection. Furthermore, through our reporting recommendations, we aim to improve the reporting of behavioural studies in the peer‐reviewed literature, and thereby increase their usefulness to inform chemical regulation.

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Bigger and bolder: Widespread agricultural pollutant 17β-trenbolone increases growth and alters behaviour in tadpoles (Litoria ewingii)

Cited by 3 publications

References 83 publications

Impacts of exposure to UV radiation and an agricultural pollutant on morphology and behaviour of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

Impacts of exposure to UV radiation and an agricultural pollutant on morphology and behaviour of tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

Impacts of Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation and an Agricultural Pollutant on Morphology and Behavior of Tadpoles (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis)

EthoCRED: a framework to guide reporting and evaluation of the relevance and reliability of behavioural ecotoxicity studies

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