Although the occurrence of many endocrine-disrupting effects
of pollutants in invertebrates and vertebrates is undisputed,
evidence on the significance of transgeneration effects
mediated by endocrine disruption, in terms of wildlife decline
or extinction, is scarce, as indicated in a recent revision [57].
This included the well-known cases of tributylin-exposed mollusk
populations and the effects of spills of organochlorine
pesticides in alligator populations in Lake Apopka (FL, USA)
as well as unpublished multigeneration experiments with sticklebacks
exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of
ethynylestradiol and nonylphenol.
Transgeneration effects can have practical importance when
using bioindicators of water quality because pollutant-resistant
forms can increase after exposure during several generations.
In Daphnia magna, rearing under Zn deficiency resulted in
lower Zn tolerance, higher variation in brood size, and increased
sensitivity to pH [58].