title: Relative distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls among tissues of neonatal American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).
abstract: Recent papers have investigated the utility of chemical analysis of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as a nonlethal indicator of avian and reptilian exposure to persistent environmental contaminants. This study was undertaken to evaluate the chemical distribution among fat, CAM, and residual yolk tissues of live neonatal American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) to investigate the potential utility of CAM use as a nonlethal indicator of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). CAMs were collected from neonatal alligators at hatch, whereas yolk sacs and fat tissues were taken from each animal at euthanization (3 weeks posthatch). All collected tissue samples were separately Soxhlet extracted and analyzed by GC/ECD for PCBs. Log normalized, individual PCB congener concentrations in CAMs were significantly correlated with concentrations in fat (r(2) = 0.62) and yolk (r(2) = 0.56) tissues. Coefficients of determination from comparisons of homologue group concentrations varied from 0.13 to 0.90. Residue levels in neonatal oviparous organism tissues may be qualitatively assessed through chemical analyses of CAM tissues removed from discarded eggshells.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Bargar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sills-McMurry
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Dickerson
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cobb
mesh_terms: D000482:Allantois / Q000378:metabolism; D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002823:Chorion / Q000378:metabolism; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005321:Extraembryonic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D005223:Fats / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005223:Fats; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls