Patent ID: 7627434
Filing Date: 2009-12-01
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for assessing ecological risk to mammals, comprising: collecting a representative sample of rodents from a contaminated site, wherein the rodents reflect generations of exposure to the contaminated site; collecting a representative sample of rodents from an animal reference site; comparing sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology of the rodents from the contaminated site with the rodents from the animal reference site; determining whether the comparison between the sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology of the rodents from the contaminated site and of the rodents from the animal reference site exceeds sperm parameter benchmarks for sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology, thereby indicating if the rodents from the contaminated site have compromised reproductive success, wherein a decrease of approximately 80% to 90% in sperm count indicates comprised reproductive success; and making a determination about whether an ecological risk to terrestrial site mammals at the contaminated site is present or not based on whether said comparison exceeds the sperm parameter benchmarks.