Reproductive efficiency in mink (Mustela vison) treated with the pesticides lindane, carbofuran and pentachlorophenol

Mink are carnivores of agroforestry fringe habitats and are exposed to pesticides that biomagnify within the food chain. Some pesticides are thought to disrupt reproductive and endocrine functions. In Expt 1, four groups of mink (n = 10) were fed either a control diet, or diets treated with lindane (1 mg kg-1 day-1), carbofuran (0.05 mg kg-1 day-1) or pentachlorophenol (1 mg kg-1 day-1) from before breeding until weaning. Mink were mated twice, at 7-8 day intervals. The treatments had no effect on the proportion of mink accepting the first mating; however, lindane and pentachlorophenol caused a decrease in the percentage of females accepting the second mating. Lindane and pentachlorophenol caused a decrease in whelping rate, although litter size was not affected. Carbofuran had no effect on fertility. Mink that mated only once had a lower whelping rate than mink that mated twice; therefore, it could not be determined whether the decreased whelping rates were due to the lack of a second mating or to increased embryo loss. In Expt 2, two groups of mink (n = 15) were fed a control diet or a diet treated with lindane (1 mg kg-1 day-1) from before mating until weaning. Mink were mated twice on two consecutive days. Lindane did not affect mating response at either mating. Whelping rate, but not implantation rate, was decreased by the lindane treatment. The proportion of embryos lost after implantation (implantation scars not represented by kits at whelping) was increased by the lindane treatment. In conclusion, both lindane and pentachlorophenol decreased fertility in mink, and the lindane effect was primarily a result of embryo mortality after implantation.