Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

The second hypothesized effect of oil on reproduction is caused by
translocation of hydrocarbons ingested and absorbed by adults to gametes.
Rapid uptake of petroleum hydrocarbons has been demonstrated in
several species of Crustacea (Anderson 1975; Cox et al. 1975; Lee 1975;
Tatem 1977).
While both adult and larval stages are capable of rapid
elimination of hydrocarbons accumulated via the diet, metabolic products
appear to be strongly resistant to depuration (Corner et al.
1976; Lee
et al. 1976; Sanborn and Malins 1977).
Residues amounting to 10% of the
initial level were found in adult copepods which had been exposed 34 days
earlier as nauplius I to a seawater solution of naphthalene for 24 h
(Harris et al. 1977). Neff et al. (cited by Varanasi and Malins 1977)
found rapid accumulation of naphthalene derivatives by penaeid shrimp
that reached tissue levels of 100 times greater than those in exposure
water.
Highest and most persistent residues were found in the hepatopancreas
that directly supplies nutrient materials to the gonads for
gametogenesis.
Transfer of naphthalene to eggs was found to occur in
the marine polychaete Neanthes arenaceodentata (Rossi and Anderson
1977). Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) ingesting radiolabeled hydrocarbons
assimilated 2 to 10% and stored up to 50% of this amount in the
hepatopancreas, which was the only organ assayed that still contained
radioactivity after 25 days of depuration (Lee et al. 1976).
Again, a
direct translocation to and biomagnification of hydrocarbons in lipidrich
gametes is possible, although not well studied to our knowledge.
Sufficiently high hydrocarbon levels in egg yolk and developing embryos
could cause anomalous development.
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