Jump to main content
US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Search
Search
Main menu
Environmental Topics
Laws & Regulations
About EPA
Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)
Contact Us
Print
Feedback
Export to File
Search:
This record has one attached file:
Add More Files
Attach File(s):
Display Name for File*:
Save
Citation
Tags
HERO ID
2345947
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Unraveling the Relative Importance of Oral and Dermal Contaminant Exposure in Reptiles: Insights from Studies Using the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Author(s)
Weir, SM; Talent, LG; Anderson, TA; Salice, CJ
Year
2014
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
PLoS ONE
EISSN:
1932-6203
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Location
SAN FRANCISCO
Book Title
PLoS One. 2014; 9(6):e99666. [PloS one]
Volume
9
Issue
6
Page Numbers
e99666
Language
English
PMID
24941063
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0099666
Web of Science Id
WOS:000338508200034
URL
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1537331049?accountid=171501
Exit
Abstract
Despite widespread recognition of significant data deficiencies, reptiles remain a relatively understudied taxon in ecotoxicology. To conduct ecological risk assessments on reptiles frequently requires using surrogate taxa such as birds, but recent research suggests that reptiles have significantly different exposure profiles and toxicant sensitivity. We exposed western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, to the same quantities of three model chemicals via oral (gavage) and dermal (ventral skin application) exposure for either 24 or 48 hours. Three phthalate esters (di-methyl phthalate [DMP], di-iso-butyl phthalate [DIBP], and di-n-octyl phthalate [DNOP]) were chosen as model chemicals because they represent a gradient of lipophilicity but are otherwise structurally similar. Overall, the more lipophilic phthalates (DIBP and DNOP) were found to have higher concentrations in tissues than the less lipophilic DMP. Significant differences in tissue concentrations between DIBP and DNOP were tissue-dependent, suggesting that delivery to a site of action following exposure is not only a simple function of lipophilicity. In dermal treatments, DMP usually had fewer detections (except in ventral skin samples), suggesting that lipophilicity (log Kow>2) is a requirement for uptake across the skin. In general, tissue residues were greater in oral treatments than dermal treatments (significant in adipose and liver tissue), but differences were driven strongly by differences in DMP which did not appear to be absorbed well across skin. When differences in tissue residue concentrations between oral and dermal exposure did occur, the difference was not drastic. Taken together these results suggest that dermal exposure should be considered in risk assessments for reptilian receptors. Dermal exposure may be an especially important route for reptiles as their ectothermic physiology translates to lower energetic demands and dietary exposure compared to birds and mammals.
Keywords
Sciences: Comprehensive Works; Phthalates; Lizards; Reptiles; Contaminants; Toxicity; Adipose tissue; Laboratories; Receptors; Animal euthanasia; Reptiles & amphibians; Metabolism; Risk assessment; Toxicology; Butyl phthalate; Studies; Pesticides; Exposure; Ecological risk assessment; Organic chemicals; Lipophilic; Lipophilicity; Chemical contaminants; Data processing; Phthalate esters; Tissues; Ecotoxicology; Chemicals; Sceloporus occidentalis; Squamata; Reptilia; Boiga irregularis; Elaphe guttata
Tags
•
Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP) Final
Database Searches
September 2014 update
PubMed
Toxline
Web of Science
New for this search
June 2015 Update
Toxline
Web of Science
December 2015 Update
Web of Science
June 2016 Update
Toxline
Web of Science
January 2017 Update
July 2017 Update
No Primary Data on Toxic Effects
Fate and transport
Exposure levels
•
Phthalates – Targeted Search for Epidemiological Studies
Source – all searches
Pubmed
Excluded
Source - Jun 2014 Update (Private)
Pubmed
Source – Dec 2014 Update (Private)
Pubmed
Source – Dec 2015 Update (Private)
Pubmed
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity