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Paul C. Baumann¹ and John C. Harshbarger²

¹National Biological Survey, LSC Field Research Station, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
²Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560 USA

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in both sediment and brown bullhead catfish tissues from the Black River in Lorain County, Ohio, declined by 65% and 93%, respectively, between 1980 and 1982. Sediment PAHs declined an additional 99% by 1987, coincident with the closure of a coking facility in 1983. Contemporaneously, liver cancer in 3- to 4-year-old brown bullheads declined to about one-quarter the 1982 frequency (10% versus 39%) by 1987, while the percentage of livers without any proliferative lesions doubled (42% versus 20%) . These changes were significant within age group. Our data affirm a cause-and-effect relationship between PAH exposure and liver cancer in wild fish. The data also support the efficacy of natural, unassisted remediation once the source of the pollution is eliminated. Key words: brown bullhead catfish, cancer, catfish, neoplasm, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, remediation, sediment. Environ Health Perspect 103:168-170
(1995)

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1995/103p168-170baumann/abstract.html

Address correspondence to P.C. Baumann, National Biological Survey, MSC Field Research Station, Ohio State University, 473 Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA.

We thank Jim Zajicek for chemical analysis of PAH residues and Kyle Hartman, Eric Johnston, and Mike Lydy for field collection assistance. Dave Klarer and Gene Wright provided facilities at the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Sanctuary, Ohio. Histological slides were prepared by Linda Cullen, Jennifer Clark, and Kathy Price. This research was partially supported by National Cancer Institute contract no. NO1-CP-15641 and by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This work was partialy supported by NIH contract NOI-CT-15641.

Received 25 August 1994 ; accepted 16 November 1994.