Microsatellite DNA Mutations in Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) Associated with Exposure to PAH-Containing Industrial Air Pollution

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 48; no. 19; pp. 11637 - 11645
• Main Authors: King, L. E, de Solla, S. R, Small, J. M, Sverko, E, Quinn, J. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 07.10.2014
• Subjects: air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Air Pollution - adverse effects; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Aves; benzo(a)pyrene; Benzo(a)pyrene - analysis; bile; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Birds - genetics; chicks; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Mutational Analysis; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; emissions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geography; industry; Lake Erie; liver; Marine; metabolites; Microsatellite Repeats; mutagenicity; Mutagens; Mutation; Ontario; Phalacrocorax auritus; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Sediments; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; traffic; Ontario Canada; Canada; North America, Erie L; Canada, Ontario, Erie L; Canada, Ontario; North America, Great Lakes; Canada, Ontario, Ontario L., Hamilton Harbour; Lake Erie; Ontario; Hydrocarbon; Toxicity; Exposure; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Mutagen; Persistent organic pollutant; Carcinogen; Vertebrata; Crest; Microsatellite DNA; Air pollution; Mutation; Aves; Phalacrocorax auritus; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es502720a

Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, Canada is one of the most polluted sites on the Great Lakes, and is subject to substantial airborne pollution due to emissions from both heavy industry and intense vehicle traffic. Mutagenic Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present at very high concentrations in the air and sediment of Hamilton Harbour. We used five variable DNA microsatellites to screen for mutations in 97 families of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) from three wild colonies, two in Hamilton Harbour and one in cleaner northeastern Lake Erie. Mutations were identified in all five microsatellites at low frequencies, with the majority of mutations found in chicks from the Hamilton Harbour site closest to industrial sources of PAH contamination. Microsatellite mutation rates were 6-fold higher at the Hamilton Harbour site closest to the industrial sources of PAH contamination than the other Hamilton Harbour site, and both were higher than the reference colony. A Phase I metabolite of the PAH benzo­[a]­pyrene identified by LC-MS/MS in bile and liver from Hamilton Harbour cormorant chicks suggests that these cormorants are exposed to and metabolizing PAHs, highlighting their potential to have caused the observed mutations.