Lenzner, Diana Elizabeth
(2007)
ARE TISSUES OF CHANNEL CATFISH MORE ESTROGENIC IN AREAS WITH HIGH DENSITIES OF COMBINED SEWAGE OVERFLOWS?
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The Three Rivers area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has more combined sewer overflow (CSO) release points than any other city in the United States. CSOs and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) release untreated waste directly into receiving water during wet weather events such as rain or snow. A wide range of estrogenic agents is contained in municipal wastewater, including pharmaceutical estrogens, plastic additives, pesticides and detergent breakdown products such as nonyl-phenol.The goal of this analysis was to examine estrogenicity of channel catfish fillet tissue in areas significantly impaired by CSO/SSOs compared to store-bought catfish and catfish from up-river areas on the Allegheny River that are less impacted. Estrogenicity was based on the ability of catfish fillet tissue to proliferate MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Cell proliferation was quantified using a serial dilution assay. Replicate values for each fish at each dilution were analyzed using a random intercept model. Area effects were quantified in terms of absolute and relative differences, controlling for background. In this study, cell proliferation is higher for catfish sampled from the most contaminated CSO/SSO sites than for catfish sampled from areas on the Allegheny with fewer CSOs/SSOs.The risk information concerning cumulative estrogenicity in channel catfish, in this study may provide a linkage between the ecological compounds contained in wastewaters and human health. Estradiol equivalents could be constructed from the estrogenicity index developed in this paper. These findings are significant to public health because they could help to estimate the risk of estrogenic exposure posed to those who consume channel catfish from the Three Rivers Area of Pittsburgh. The findings could also help describe the impact of estrogenic exposure in wildlife.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
27 September 2007 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Defense Date: |
3 August 2007 |
| Approval Date: |
27 September 2007 |
| Submission Date: |
1 August 2007 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Biostatistics |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
bioindicator; channel catfish; estrogen; regression; sewage overflow |
| Other ID: |
http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-08012007-213014/, etd-08012007-213014 |
| Date Deposited: |
10 Nov 2011 19:55 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 13:47 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8794 |
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