title: A persistent organic pollutant related with unusual high frequency of hermaphroditism in the neotropical anuran Physalaemus cuvieri Fitzinger, 1826.
abstract: Representing a reflection of anthropic activity, the level of xenobiotic compounds in aquatic ecosystems has increased in recent years, bringing severe damage to the environment. The present work reports the occurrence of malformation in gonads of Physalaemus cuvieri individuals from a population of Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil. Twenty male specimens were collected, which had their testicles removed, immersed in Karnovsky fixative solution, included in historesin for 2 μm cuts and stained with Hematoxylin-eosin. Four specimens showed intersexual gonads condition along with the presence of sperm and oocytes. In order to test a possible contamination of water, 2L were collected from the water body to check organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate compounds. The analysis of water showed the presence of agrotoxic Dieldrin in a concentration of 0.05 μg/L, representing a concentration above the recommended reference. This agrotoxic, in addition to acting as endocrine disrupter and commercially prohibited, has quite persistent residual effects, and may be responsible for the high frequency of P. cuvieri with intersexual gonads, which in the long term can represent a risk for this population due to the potential impact on its effective reproductive ability.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Departamento de Biologia. Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265-Jardim Nazareth, CEP 15054-000, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil; Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste), Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Rua Universitária, 2069-Jardim Universitário, CEP 85819-110, Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: rafaelabiologia@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Rafaela M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Moresco
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (Unioeste), Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Rua Universitária, 2069-Jardim Universitário, CEP 85819-110, Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vladimir P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Margarido
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Departamento de Biologia. Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265-Jardim Nazareth, CEP 15054-000, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Classius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D004026:Dieldrin / Q000633:toxicity*; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000139:chemically induced*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004026:Dieldrin
keywords: Agrotoxic; Anura; Endocrine disrupter; Intersex; Toxicology