Fish olfaction: a biosensor for anthropogenic contaminants

• Author / Creator

  Blunt, Brian

• Anthropogenic contaminants can impair olfactory responses to natural odorants. In fishes, these impairments may be used as a metric of sub-lethal toxicity. My studies aimed to determine the effects of two contaminant sources on fish olfaction as measured by electro-olfactography (EOG). The effects of treated municipal reuse water and oil sands process affected water were examined in two fish species, goldfish (Carassius auratus) and rainbow trout (Oncorynchus mykiss). Both contaminant sources were found to decrease olfactory responses to odorants during acute (30 min) and long term (60 and 7 d) exposures. My studies also aimed to identify a novel class of odorants (nucleosides). It was determined that nucleosides are detected, as are the nucleobases that comprise part of their structure. Overall the focus of my thesis was to investigate olfactory toxicity in fishes and to characterize a new class of odorants for future studies.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Electro-olfactogram
  • EOG
  • Fish
  • Reuse water
  • OSPW
  • Olfaction

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3707WV8H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.