Investigating the Role of Environmental Contamination in Teratogenicity Rates of Spotted Salamanders (/Ambystoma maculatum/)

Abstract:

Organic contaminants are anthropogenic chemicals that persist in the environment because they resist degradation through chemical and biological processes. These chemicals can inadvertently affect non-target organisms that live in contaminated soil or water, such as amphibians. If amphibians are exposed to organic chemicals during crucial early life stages, it could lead to teratogenic (i.e., developmental) effects. This study aimed to determine the relationship between contaminants (i.e., herbicides, insecticides, and other organic contaminants) and teratogenic limb malformations in adult spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) on Penn State Behrend’s campus. Soil and sediment were collected from salamander breeding locations on campus and extracted using 24-hr Tenax extractions. The extracts are currently being analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify and quantify the contaminant concentrations within the samples. The quantified contaminant concentrations will be compared to limb deformity rates in adult spotted salamanders collected during the 2020-2022 breeding season. Correlations between contamination and teratogenicity rates will be presented at the Sigma Xi conference on April 22, 2023. Like other amphibians, spotted salamanders may serve as an indicator species, which means that the state of the salamander populations on campus reflects the health of the rest of the ecosystem. As such, this research stands as a case study to better understand the role of organic contaminants in the health of amphibian populations living in suburban areas.