Previous monitoring at Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Newington, New Hampshire documented high prevalence of amphibian malformations at sites contaminated with potential endocrine active compounds. In the present study, a combination of in situ and laboratory experiments were used to determine whether contaminants present in the sites affect amphibian growth and reproductive development. Wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles were exposed in situ at four sites (Ferry Way, Beaver Pond, Lower Peverly, and Stubbs Pond) at Great Bay NWR and northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) tadpoles were exposed in the lab to sediments collected from three sites (Beaver Pond, Ferry Way, Stubbs Pond) at Great Bay NWR as well as a positive (estradiol) and negative control. High mortality was observed at Stubbs Pond and extended larval period at Beaver Pond in the in situ exposure. Only three malformations were noted in the lab experiment, whereas there was a 63% prevalence of rounded femurs in Beaver Pond metamorphs in the in situ exposure. Only 2.4% (5 of 207) of R. sylvatica metamorphs exhibited abnormal reproductive development, whereas intersex metamorphs occurred in treatments and controls in the lab experiment at rates as high as 26%. Reproductive development was more advanced and estradiol to androgen ratios reduced in male metamorphs from Beaver Pond in both the in situ and lab exposures. DDT, PCBs, and PAHs were detected in sediments at Great Bay NWR at concentrations that exceed regulatory or guidance values, with concentrations of PAHs being highest at Lower Peverly Pond and DDT highest at Stubbs Pond. The effects on anuran development may be attributable to the primary contaminants-DDT and PCBs-acting on the thyroid and gonadal axes.

中文翻译：

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大湾国家野生动物保护区的环境污染物对无脊椎动物发育，性腺组织学和生殖类固醇生成的影响：原位和实验室暴露的比较。

先前在新罕布什尔州纽灵顿的大湾国家野生动物保护区（NWR）进行的监测显示，两栖动物畸形在受潜在内分泌活性化合物污染的地点普遍存在。在本研究中，结合了原位实验和实验室实验来确定这些场所中存在的污染物是否影响两栖动物的生长和生殖发育。木蛙（Rana sylvatica）s在Great Bay NWR的四个位置（渡轮道，海狸池塘，下贝弗利山和斯塔布斯池塘）就地暴露，而北部豹蛙（Rana pipiens）t在实验室中暴露于从收集的沉积物中位于大湾西北岸的三个地点（海狸塘，渡轮道，斯塔布斯塘）以及阳性（雌二醇）和阴性对照。在Stubbs池塘中观察到高死亡率，而在Beaver Pond处就地暴露发现幼虫期延长。在实验室实验中，仅发现了三种畸形，而在原位暴露的Beaver Pond变形物中，圆形股骨的患病率高达63％。在实验室实验中，只有2.4％（207个中的5个）的西尔维氏菌变种表现出异常的生殖发育，而在处理和对照组中，雌雄同体的变态发生率高达26％。在原位和实验室暴露中，Beaver Pond的雄性变体的生殖发育更加先进，雌二醇与雄激素的比率降低。在大湾西北区的沉积物中检测到DDT，PCBs和PAHs，其浓度超过了规定值或指导值，其中PAHs的浓度在下佩弗利塘最高，而DDT在Stubbs塘最高。