Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

A Reproductive And Trophic Transfer Study Associated With Selenium Concentrations In The Upper Mud River Watershed, Amanda Lee Wilson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Selenium in mining-related discharges has created concern in the Appalachian Region where coal is a significant resource. In West Virginia, evaluation of streams receiving mining discharges focused attention on the Mud River watershed where bioaccumulation of selenium was highest in preliminary surveys. Chronic exposure (mainly dietary) of mature female fish to selenium has the potential to cause developmental abnormalities in developing embryos due to the maternal transfer of selenium into the eggs. Literature suggests that factors affecting the bioaccumulation rate of selenium, and the concentration of selenium associated with the aforementioned effects are site-specific. The purpose of this study was …