Abstract:
Agricultural and urban storm runoff introduce hundreds of various chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in waterways. These chemicals are seldomly monitored by environmental agencies and can accumulate over time, potentially causing adverse effects on aquatic species. Exposure to CECs has a variety of adverse effects on fish, including disruption of neurofunction, predator avoidance performance, reproductive success, exploration and boldness tendencies, and spatial memory among many others. Although previous studies have shown that many of exposure-induced reproductive and physiological changes can be passed down to offspring, most studies have focused on single chemicals; thus, we know little about the transgenerational effects of complex CEC mixtures on affected organisms. In this study, we exposed three generations of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to environmentally relevant concentrations of CECs common in urban-impacted waterways. We assessed the growth and foraging behavior of larvae, and reproductive behavior and boldness of adults in each of two generations. We found that long-term exposure to a complex mixture of CECs altered the behavior of both larvae and adults, and that dose-dependent patterns of behavioral change were consistent in multiple contexts and at different life stages. Notably, our study showed that the effects of exposure were magnified in later generations. These results highlight the need for better monitoring of CECs in wastewater treatment plants, and the implementation of conservation practices to manage aquatic systems in highly polluted areas.
