Research Product

Distribution patterns of liver disease observed in winter flounder indigenous to the northeastern USA indicated that hepatocytic neoplasms were absent in populations from uncontaminated offshore areas and endemic in populations from moderately to highly contaminated inshore areas. Liver neoplasms in winter flounder collected from eight different locations ranged from 0% in animals collected offshore from Cape Cod to 32% in the nearshore area of New Bedford, MA. Similarly, an array of other hepatic lesions ranged from 9% in Martha's Vineyard to 79% in Boston Harbor. Proliferate lesions in endocrine, exocrine, respiratory, sensory, excretory and digestive organs and alteration of plasma protein were also characteristic of winter flounder populations residing in the nearshore environment. The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), other organic compounds and trace metals associated with marine sediment were elevated in urban embayments as compared with offshore locations. Degree of sediment chemical contamination and disease suggest a causal relationship.