Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause endocrine disruption, cancer, immunosuppression, or reproductive failure in animals. We used an individual-based model to explore whether and how PCB-associated reproductive failure could affect the dynamics of a hypothetical polar bear (Ursus maritimus) po...
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ftufz:oai:ufz.de:16466 2023-12-10T09:48:14+01:00 Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears Pavlova, V. Grimm, Volker Dietz, R. Sonne, C. Vorkamp, K. Rigét, F.F. Letcher, R.J. Gustavson, K. Desforges, J.-P. Nabe-Nielsen, J. 2015-08-20 application/pdf https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16466 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 en eng Springer Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 70 (1);; 143 - 154 https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16466 https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess ISSN: 0090-4341 info:eu-repo/semantics/article https://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text 2015 ftufz https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 2023-11-12T23:33:25Z Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause endocrine disruption, cancer, immunosuppression, or reproductive failure in animals. We used an individual-based model to explore whether and how PCB-associated reproductive failure could affect the dynamics of a hypothetical polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population exposed to PCBs to the same degree as the East Greenland subpopulation. Dose–response data from experimental studies on a surrogate species, the mink (Mustela vision), were used in the absence of similar data for polar bears. Two alternative types of reproductive failure in relation to maternal sum-PCB concentrations were considered: increased abortion rate and increased cub mortality. We found that the quantitative impact of PCB-induced reproductive failure on population growth rate depended largely on the actual type of reproductive failure involved. Critical potencies of the dose–response relationship for decreasing the population growth rate were established for both modeled types of reproductive failure. Comparing the model predictions of the age-dependent trend of sum-PCBs concentrations in females with actual field measurements from East Greenland indicated that it was unlikely that PCB exposure caused a high incidence of abortions in the subpopulation. However, on the basis of this analysis, it could not be excluded that PCB exposure contributes to higher cub mortality. Our results highlight the necessity for further research on the possible influence of PCBs on polar bear reproduction regarding their physiological pathway. This includes determining the exact cause of reproductive failure, i.e., in utero exposure versus lactational exposure of offspring; the timing of offspring death; and establishing the most relevant reference metrics for the dose–response relationship. Article in Journal/Newspaper East Greenland Greenland polar bear Ursus maritimus UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) Greenland Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 70 1 143 154 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
UFZ - Publication Index (Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research) |
op_collection_id |
ftufz |
language |
English |
description |
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can cause endocrine disruption, cancer, immunosuppression, or reproductive failure in animals. We used an individual-based model to explore whether and how PCB-associated reproductive failure could affect the dynamics of a hypothetical polar bear (Ursus maritimus) population exposed to PCBs to the same degree as the East Greenland subpopulation. Dose–response data from experimental studies on a surrogate species, the mink (Mustela vision), were used in the absence of similar data for polar bears. Two alternative types of reproductive failure in relation to maternal sum-PCB concentrations were considered: increased abortion rate and increased cub mortality. We found that the quantitative impact of PCB-induced reproductive failure on population growth rate depended largely on the actual type of reproductive failure involved. Critical potencies of the dose–response relationship for decreasing the population growth rate were established for both modeled types of reproductive failure. Comparing the model predictions of the age-dependent trend of sum-PCBs concentrations in females with actual field measurements from East Greenland indicated that it was unlikely that PCB exposure caused a high incidence of abortions in the subpopulation. However, on the basis of this analysis, it could not be excluded that PCB exposure contributes to higher cub mortality. Our results highlight the necessity for further research on the possible influence of PCBs on polar bear reproduction regarding their physiological pathway. This includes determining the exact cause of reproductive failure, i.e., in utero exposure versus lactational exposure of offspring; the timing of offspring death; and establishing the most relevant reference metrics for the dose–response relationship. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pavlova, V. Grimm, Volker Dietz, R. Sonne, C. Vorkamp, K. Rigét, F.F. Letcher, R.J. Gustavson, K. Desforges, J.-P. Nabe-Nielsen, J. |
spellingShingle |
Pavlova, V. Grimm, Volker Dietz, R. Sonne, C. Vorkamp, K. Rigét, F.F. Letcher, R.J. Gustavson, K. Desforges, J.-P. Nabe-Nielsen, J. Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
author_facet |
Pavlova, V. Grimm, Volker Dietz, R. Sonne, C. Vorkamp, K. Rigét, F.F. Letcher, R.J. Gustavson, K. Desforges, J.-P. Nabe-Nielsen, J. |
author_sort |
Pavlova, V. |
title |
Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
title_short |
Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
title_full |
Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
title_fullStr |
Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in East Greenland polar bears |
title_sort |
modeling population-level consequences of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in east greenland polar bears |
publisher |
Springer |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16466 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
East Greenland Greenland polar bear Ursus maritimus |
genre_facet |
East Greenland Greenland polar bear Ursus maritimus |
op_source |
ISSN: 0090-4341 |
op_relation |
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=16466 https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-015-0203-2 |
container_title |
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |
container_volume |
70 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
143 |
op_container_end_page |
154 |
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1784892174822801408 |