Abstract
There have been increasing human health and ecological concerns about ionic perchlorate (ClO4) since it was detected in drinking water sources in 1997. Perchlorate is known to affect thyroid function, causing subsequent hormone disruption and potential perturbations of metabolic activities. According to current estimates, perchlorate is found in the surface or groundwater of 14 states, including Texas. Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, located in east central Texas, was a facility historically associated with perchlorate-containing propellants and rocket motors. Subsequently, perchlorate contamination in ground and surface waters at the facility has been reported. Soil, sediment, water, vegetation, and animal tissue samples were collected from several locations within the plant for a preliminary site assessment of perchlorate contamination. Perchlorate concentrations ranged from 555–5,557,000 ppb in vegetation, 811–2038 ppb in aquatic insects, below detection limits (ND) to 207 ppb in fish, ND-580 ppb in frogs, and ND–2328 ppb in mammals.
Consistent with our hypothesis, aquatic organisms inhabiting perchlorate-contaminated surface water bodies contained detectable concentrations of perchlorate. Additionally, terrestrial organisms were exposed through pathways not necessarily related to contaminated surface waters. Therefore, these data demonstrate that aquatic and terrestrial species are exposed to perchlorate in the environment. To our knowledge, this represents the first incidence of perchlorate exposure among wild animals reported in the scientific literature.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, T.A. and Wu, T.H. (2001). Extraction, cleanup and analysis of the perchlorate anion in tissue samples. Chemosphere (submitted).
Beyer, W.N., Connor, E.E. and Gerould, S. (1994). Estimates of soil ingestion by wildlife. J. Wildl. Manage. 58, 375–82.
Choate, J.R., Jones Jr., J.K. and Jones, C. (1994). Handbook of Mammals of the South-Central States. p. 166. Baton Rouge: LSU Press.
Dionex. (1998). Application Note 121. Dionex Corp. Sunnyvale, CA.
Ellington, J.J. and Evans, J.J. (2000). Determination of perchlorate at parts-per-billion levels in plants by ion chromatography. J. Chromotog. A. 898, 193–9.
Kendall, R.J., Dickerson, R.L., Giesy, J.P. and Suk, W.P. (1998). Principles and Processes for Evaluating Endocrine Disruption in Wildlife. Pensacola: SETAC Press.
Lamm, S.H. and Doemland, M. (1999). Has perchlorate in drinking water increased the rate of congenital hypothyroidism? J. Occup. Environ. Med. 41, 409–13.
Li, Z., Li, F.X., Byrd, D., Deyhle, G.M., Sesser, D.E., Skeels, M.R. and Lamm, S.H. (2000). Neonatal thyroxine level and perchlorate in drinking water. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 42, 200–8.
Nzengung, V.A., Wang, C. and Harvey, G. (1999). Plant-mediated transformation of perchlorate into chloride. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33, 1470–8.
Orgiassi, J. and Mornex, R. (1990). Hyperthyroidism. In M.A. Greer (ed) The Thyroid Gland. pp. 405–95. New York: Raven Press.
Rand, G.M. (1995). Fundamentals of Aquatic Toxicology. Washington: Taylor & Francis.
Saito, K., Yamamoto, K., Takai, T. and Yoshida, S. (1983). Inhibition of iodide accumulation by perchlorate and thiocyanate in a model of the thyroid iodide transport system. Acta Endocrinol. 104, 456–61.
Susarla, S., Collette, T.W., Garrison, A.W., Wolfe, N.L. and McCutcheon, S.C. (1999a). Perchlorate identification in fertilizers. Environ. Sci. Technol. 33, 3469–72.
Susarla, S., Bachus, S.T., Wolfe, N.L. and McCutcheon, S.C. (1999b). Phytotransformation of perchlorate and identification of metabolic products in Myriophyllum aquaticum. Inter. J. Phytorem. 1, 97–107.
Urbansky, E.T. (1998). Perchlorate chemistry: Implications for analysis and remediation. Biorem. J. 2, 81–95.
Wolff, J. (1998). Perchlorate and the thyroid gland. Pharmacol. Rev. 50, 89–105.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1016846920652
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, P.N., Theodorakis, C.W., Anderson, T.A. et al. Preliminary Assessment of Perchlorate in Ecological Receptors at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (LHAAP), Karnack, Texas. Ecotoxicology 10, 305–313 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016715502717
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016715502717