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question 43

Multiple Choice

Use the following information to answer the question.
Estrogens found in the environment have raised concerns about effects on reproductive health of animals. Researchers studied the effects that estrogens in the water have on sexual differentiation in zebrafish. They exposed embryo-larval (0-21 days post-hatching) , juvenile (21-42 days post-hatching) , and adult (over 200 days post-hatching) fish to three concentrations of 17β-estradiol (5, 25, and 100 nanograms/liter) that are within the range of concentrations found in water leaving sewage treatment plants in different countries. They then examined the proportion of males and females when the fish exposed at embryo-larval and juvenile stages reached adulthood. Embryo-larval stage fish that had been exposed to 100 ng/l 17β-estradiol resulted in adult populations that had substantially more females than males compared to control groups. Embryo-larval fish that had been exposed to 5 and 25 ng/l of 17β-estradiol did not show a statistically significant shift in the proportion of females. (Brion, F., C. R. Tyler, X. Palazzi, B. Laillet, J. M. Porcher, J. Garric, and P. Flammarion. 2004. Impacts of 17β-estradiol, including environmentally relevant concentrations, on reproduction after exposure during embryo-larval-, juvenile-, and adult-life stages in zebrafish (Danio rerio) . Aquatic Toxicology 68:193-217.)
You are assigned to write the report to the Environmental Protection Agency that needs to decide what level of 17β-estradiol to permit in sewage output. You do not want to make the level any lower than necessary, because it requires substantial additional money for the extra treatment of sewage. Given the data presented, what concentration of 17β-estradiol would you suggest is safe to prevent feminization of fish?

Definitions:

Power Moves

Strategic actions taken to assert one’s dominance or influence in a situation, often used in negotiations or competitive contexts to gain an advantage.

Perceptions

The process by which individuals interpret and make sense of sensory information to form an understanding of their environment.

Behaviors

Actions or reactions of an individual or a group in response to external or internal stimuli.

Repetition

The act or process of doing or saying something again, often for emphasis or to ensure understanding.