Humpback Whale Cell Lines as an In Vitro Tool for Toxicity Assessment

View/ Open
Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Nash, Susan Bengtson
Other Supervisors
Cropp, Roger
Whitworth, Deanne
Schirmer, Kristin
Year published
2017
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are predominantly anthropogenically-derived chemicals, characterized by their persistence, toxicity, capacity for bioaccumulation and tendency for long-range environmental transport. They have been observed at elevated concentrations in polar environments and biota, including Antarctic foraging humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Southern hemisphere humpback whales are highly dependent on lipid reserves accumulated during summer feeding to sustain their seasonal migration and associated period of voluntary fasting, the longest known in any mammal. This extreme life-history behaviour ...
View more >Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are predominantly anthropogenically-derived chemicals, characterized by their persistence, toxicity, capacity for bioaccumulation and tendency for long-range environmental transport. They have been observed at elevated concentrations in polar environments and biota, including Antarctic foraging humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Southern hemisphere humpback whales are highly dependent on lipid reserves accumulated during summer feeding to sustain their seasonal migration and associated period of voluntary fasting, the longest known in any mammal. This extreme life-history behaviour has been observed to result in a dramatic increase in blubber POP concentrations and presumed circulating lipophilic POP burdens during times of negative energy balance. Toxicological investigations of the effect of circulating POP burdens are, however, constrained by logistical challenges associated with large cetacean research, and the limitations of existing non-lethal research approaches.This thesis research was designed to develop a humpback whale derived fibroblast cell culture for species-specific assessment of the toxicological impact of priority POPs and other potential stressors.
View less >
View more >Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are predominantly anthropogenically-derived chemicals, characterized by their persistence, toxicity, capacity for bioaccumulation and tendency for long-range environmental transport. They have been observed at elevated concentrations in polar environments and biota, including Antarctic foraging humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Southern hemisphere humpback whales are highly dependent on lipid reserves accumulated during summer feeding to sustain their seasonal migration and associated period of voluntary fasting, the longest known in any mammal. This extreme life-history behaviour has been observed to result in a dramatic increase in blubber POP concentrations and presumed circulating lipophilic POP burdens during times of negative energy balance. Toxicological investigations of the effect of circulating POP burdens are, however, constrained by logistical challenges associated with large cetacean research, and the limitations of existing non-lethal research approaches.This thesis research was designed to develop a humpback whale derived fibroblast cell culture for species-specific assessment of the toxicological impact of priority POPs and other potential stressors.
View less >
Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Griffith School of Environemnt
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Note
In order to comply with copyright the article in Chapter 2 has not been published here.
Subject
Persistent organic pollutants
Anthropogenically-derived chemicals
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Fibroblast cell culture