Feminization and masculinization of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) observed in rivers impacted by municipal wastewaters

Municipal wastewaters have been known to contain various estrogens and androgens. Little is known about the joint action of these chemicals from wastewaters on fishes in the aquatic environment. The objectives of this study were to investigate the estrogenic and/or androgenic effects in wild mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) of two effluent-impacted rivers in South China by determining morphological changes and hepatic mRNA expression levels of relevant genes such as vitellogenin (Vtg), estrogen receptor (ERα) and androgen receptors (ARα and ARβ), and to assess the linkages of those morphological changes and hepatic mRNA expression levels to the chemical concentrations measured by in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis. The results showed a significant induction of Vtg and ERα mRNA in the livers of the males and a gonopodium-like anal fin in the females collected at the majority of sites. Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the chemical concentrations obtained by in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis had significant correlations with some of the endpoints for the estrogenic and/or androgenic effects in mosquitofish. The findings from this study indicate that the estrogens and androgens present in the two rivers could cause the observed estrogenic and androgenic effects in mosquitofish.