Poultry litter contains high levels of natural sex hormones, nitrogen, phosphorous,
and trace amounts of heavy metals. Poultry litter runoff from poultry and farming
operations in the Delmarva region can have serious impacts on frog development in
the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In this study, we investigated potential effects of
litter compounds on Xenopus laevis development when exposed to environmental
levels (0.35 and 0.70 g/L) of litter solution. We found that despite rapid hormone
degradation, poultry litter solution still affected X. laevis development. Hormones
were also more persistent in the lower poultry litter concentration, leading to even
greater effects. Slowed growth and increased female gonadal abnormalities were
observed after exposure to 0.35 g/L but not to 0.70 g/L of litter solution, and
increased male gonadal abnormalities were observed after treatment to both litter
concentrations. The developmental impacts examined in this study may have greater
environmental impacts on frog reproduction and survival