Dutch title: Invloed van pollutie op de spermakwaliteit en voortplantingscapaciteit bij de driehoeksmossel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas) Funder identifier: 981165; ID P103/3E981094 (Other contract id) Period: October 1998 till September 2000 Status: Completed
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Departement Biologie; Afdeling Dierenecologie en -systematiek; Aquatische Ecologie en Evolutiebiologie, more
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven; Departement Dierproductie; Laboratorium voor voedingsleer, more
Vlaamse overheid; Beleidsdomein Economie, Wetenschap en Innovatie; Agentschap voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie (IWT), more, sponsor
In this research we will axamine how pollutants effect the sperm quality and fertilization capacity of bivalves. Our model is the zebra mussel. The examined pollutants are the heavy metals and different classes of organic pollutants from which is known they can act as endocrine disruptors in other organisms. On the one hand we will investigate whether in vitro exposure of sperm to pollutants effects their sperm motility and fertilization capacity. On the other hand changes in the motility and fertilization capacity of the spermatozoa of in vivo exposed zebra mussels will be examined, followed by a histological survey of the gonads.
