Long-term and transgenerational effects of nonylphenol exposure at a key stage in the development of Crassostrea gigas. Possible endocrine disruption?

The widespread aquatic pollutant nonylphenol has been found to induce long-term and transgenerational effects in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas that have not previously been reported. Evidence is provided demonstrating that when larvae are exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of nonylphenol for a single 48 h exposure at a key stage in their development, long-term sexual developmental effects are induced. Data provided by this study suggest that exposure to 1 and 100 mu g/L nonylphenol at Days 7 to 8 post-fertilization results in a change in the sex ratio towards females and an increase in the incidence of hermaphroditism (10 mo later, up to 30% of the resulting adults were fully functional hermaphrodites). Gamete viability is also affected, resulting in poor embryonic and larval development (up to 100% mortality) of the subsequent generation.