An assessment of endocrine disruption in mollusks, and the potential for developing internationally-standardised mollusk lifecycle test guidelines.

Integr Environ Assess Manag. 2008 Apr 7;:1

Authors: Matthiessen P

This paper summarises what is known about the endocrine systems of mollusks, and how they can be disrupted by exogenous substances. It then examines the various possibilities for using mollusk-based toxicity tests to detect, and assess the environmental risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). It is concluded that there are no internationally standardised tests with mollusks available at present that are suitable for assessing the risks of long-term exposure to EDCs, but that several published methods show potential. At the present state of knowledge, the most promising mollusk species for use in partial lifecycle testing is probably the fresh- and brackish-water mesogastropod, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, which is known to be responsive to both direct and indirect androgens, and to estrogens (and their mimics). There is less experience of full lifecycle testing with mollusks, but the freshwater pulmonate gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis at present offers the best possibility for a practical procedure. In both cases, there is a need for substantial test optimisation and validation before these procedures could form the basis of international guidelines.

PMID: 18393578 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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