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Effects of oil dispersants on the developing embryos of marine fish

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Abstract

The effects of oil dispersants BP10021, Finasol ESK and Corexit 7664 on the development of herring, Clupea harengus L., plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L. and sole, Solea solea (L.) have been studied. Treatment of developing embryos for 100 h with BP1002 and Finasol ESK gave rise to abnormalities in cell division and differentiation, to reductions in heart-rate, eye pigmentation, growth rate and hatching success above concentrations of 10 parts/106. Larvae with abnormal flexures of the spine, which prevented them from feeding successfully, resulted from exposure to 5 parts/106. Treatment of the embryos with dispersants throughout the period from fertilisation to hatching (15 to 20 days) produced similar abnormalities at slightly lower concentrations. Corexit did not produce any demonstrable deleterious effects on embryos exposed to concentrations up to 5000 parts/106, the highest tested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural History, Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scotland

    K. W. Wilson

  2. Fisheries Laboratory, Remembrance Avenue, CMO 8HA, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, England

    K. W. Wilson

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  1. K. W. Wilson
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Communicated by J.H.S. Blaxter, Oban

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Wilson, K.W. Effects of oil dispersants on the developing embryos of marine fish. Mar. Biol. 36, 259–268 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389287

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389287

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