The mink (Mustela vison) as an indicator of environmental reproductive toxicology :

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There is a substantial amount of chemicals in our environment and the exposure is continuous over time. It is generally unknown whether these pollutants synergistically or additatively affect human and environmental health. The reproductive system is known to be one of the most pollutant-sensitive physiological systems; therefore signs related to reproductive and developmental toxicity may be one of the earliest indications of environmental chemical impact. For instance, PCB and different oestrogenous substances at low doses are known to affect the reproductive system, in mink as well as in other species. The pollutants will sooner or later end up in streams, lakes and seas where they will bioaccumulate in fish and other aquatic species, making piscivorous animals like the mink highly exposed. Therefore, the mink is suitable as a sentinel species. Also, the general knowledge about mink and mink reproduction has been thoroughly studied since the mink has been kept in fur farms for over a hundred years. In this study, a set of parameters with emphasis on morphological reproductive parameters was analyzed post mortem on frozen/thawed material. The reproducibility of the parameters was assessed by repeated measurements in ...