Effects of hardness, chloride, and acclimation on the acute toxicity of sulfate to freshwater invertebrates

The acute toxicity of sulfate to Ceriodaphnia dubia, Chironomus tentans, Hyalella azteca, and Sphaerium simile was assessed to support potential updates of Illinois (USA) sulfate criteria for the protection of aquatic life. The mean lethal concentrations to 50% of a sample population (LC50s), expressed as mg S04(-2)/L, in moderately hard reconstituted water (MHRW) were as follows: 512 mg/L for H. azteca, 2,050 mg/L for C. dubia, 2,078 mg/L for S. simile, and 14,134 mg/L for C. tentans. At constant sulfate (approximately 2,800 mg/L) and hardness (106 mg/L), survival of H. azteca was positively correlated with chloride concentration. Hardness also was found to ameliorate sodium sulfate toxicity to C. dubia and H. azteca, with LC50s for C. dubia increasing from 2,050 mg SO4(-2)/L at hardness = 90 mg/L to 3,516 mg SO4(-2)/L at hardness = 484 mg/L. Using a reformulated MHRW with a similar hardness but higher chloride concentration and different calcium to magnesium ratio than that in standard MHRW, the mean LC50 for H. azteca increased to 2,855 mg/L, and the LC50 for C. dubia increased to 2,526 mg/L. Acclimation of C. dubia to 500 and 1,000 mg SO4(-2)/L for several generations nominally increased mean LC50 values compared with those cultured in standard MHRW.     

Comparison of hardness- and chloride-regulated acute effects of sodium sulfate on two freshwater crustaceans

Based on previous observations that hardness (and potentially chloride) influences sodium sulfate toxicity, the objective of the current study was to quantify the influence of both chloride and water hardness on acute toxicity to Hyalella azteca and Ceriodaphnia dubia. In addition, observed toxicity data from the present study were compared to toxicity predictions by the salinity/ toxicity relationship (STR) model. Hardness had a strong influence on sulfate toxicity that was similar for both crustaceans, and nearly identical median lethal concentration (LC50)/hardness slopes were observed for the two species over the tested range. Chloride had a strong but variable influence on sulfate acute toxicity, depending on the species tested and the concentration range. At lower chloride concentrations, LC50s for H. azteca strongly were correlated positively with chloride concentration, although chloride did not affect the toxicity of sodium sulfate to C. dubia. The opposite trend was observed over the higher range of chloride concentrations where there was a negative correlation between chloride concentration and sulfate LC50 for both species. The widely ranging values for both species and a high correlation between LC50s in terms of sulfate and conductivity suggested that, whether based on sulfate, conductivity, or total dissolved solids (TDS), attempts at water quality standard development should incorporate the fact that water quality parameters such as hardness and chloride strongly influence the toxicity of high TDS solutions. The STR model predicted toxicity to C. dubia relatively well when chloride was variable and hardness fixed at approximately 100 mg/L; however, the model did not account for the protective effect of hardness on major ion/TDS toxicity.     

Effects of depleted uranium on the health and survival of Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca

Depleted uranium (DU) has been used as a substitute for the fissionable enriched uranium component of atomic weapons tested at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) (Los Alamos, NM, USA) since the early 1950s, resulting in considerable concentrations of DU in the soils within the test sites. Although the movement of DU into major aquatic systems has been shown to be minimal, there are many small-order ephemeral streams and areas of standing water in canyons throughout LANL that may be affected by inputs of DU via runoff, erosion, and leaching. Ninety-six-hour acute and 7-d chronic toxicity assays were conducted to measure the toxicity of DU on survival and reproduction of Ceriodaphnia dubia. A 14-d water-only assay was conducted to measure survival and growth of Hyalella azteca. The estimated median lethal concentration (LC50) to produce 50% mortality of the test population for the 96-h Ceriodaphnia dubia assay was 10.50 mg/L. Reproductive effects occurred at a lowest-observable-effect concentration > or = 3.91 mg/L with a no-observable-effect concentration of 1.97 mg/L. The estimated 14-d LC50 for the Hyalella azteca assay was 1.52 mg/L. No significant relationship was detected between growth and DU concentrations. Concentrations at which toxicity effects were observed in this study for both invertebrates exceeded concentrations of total uranium observed in runoff from LANL lands. Thus, it is likely that current runoff levels of uranium do not pose a threat to these types of aquatic invertebrates.     

Zinc toxicity to the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi) in high-hardness water

The median 96-h lethal zinc concentration (LC50) was 439 microg Zn/L (hardness of 154 mg/L as CaCO3) for feral mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), decreasing to a median incipient lethal level of 266 microg Zn/L after 13 d. The 30-d chronic value was 255 microg Zn/L. The acute toxicity-hardness (ln-ln) slope of 1.022 exceeded that of the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency zinc criteria. The mottled sculpin is the second most sensitive fish species for which toxicity data are available.     

Acute and chronic toxicity of zinc to the mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi

The acute and chronic toxicity of zinc to wild mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi) was measured with 13-d and 30-d flow-through toxicity tests, respectively. Exposure water hardness was 48.6 mg/L as CaCO3 and 46.3 mg/L as CaCO3 in the acute and chronic tests, respectively; pH was slightly above neutral; and temperature near 12 degrees C. The median lethal concentration (LC50) after 96 h was 156 microg Zn/L, but decreased with exposure duration to a median incipient lethal level (ILL50) of 38 microg Zn/L after 9 d, the lowest zinc LC50 reported for any fish species. The 30-d chronic no-effect and lowest-effect concentrations were 16 microg Zn/L (no mortality) and 27 microg Zn/L (32% mortality), respectively. The ILL50 was 32 microg Zn/L. No sublethal growth differences were observed during the chronic test. Analysis of the results from these tests suggested that mottled sculpin may experience acute and chronic toxicity at zinc concentrations lower than any other fish species tested to date. Protection of aquatic communities in stream reaches contaminated by metals seem to require determination of zinc toxicity to lotic species other than trout and other species amenable to aquaculture.     

Acute and chronic toxicity of lead in water and diet to the amphipod Hyalella azteca

We evaluated the influence of waterborne and dietary lead (Pb) exposure on the acute and chronic toxicity of Pb to the amphipod Hyalella azteca. Test solutions were generated by a modified diluter with an extended (24-h) equilibration period. Acute (96-h) toxicity of Pb varied with water hardness in the range of 71 to 275 mg/L as CaCO3, despite similar dissolved Pb concentrations. Acute toxicity was greatest in soft test water, with less than 50% survival at the lowest dissolved Pb concentration (151 microg/L). Survival also was significantly reduced in medium-hardness water but not in hard test water. In chronic (42-d) studies, amphipods were exposed to waterborne Pb and fed either a control diet or a diet equilibrated with waterborne Pb levels. For animals fed the control diet, the median lethal concentration (LC50) for Pb was 24 degrees g/L (as dissolved Pb), and significant reductions in survival occurred at 16 microg/L. Exposure to Pb-treated diets significantly increased toxicity across a wide range of dissolved Pb concentrations, with a LC50 of 16 microg/L and significant reductions in growth and reproduction at 3.5 microg/L. Significant effects on growth and reproduction occurred at dissolved Pb concentrations close to the current U.S. chronic water-quality criterion. Our results suggest that both aqueous- and dietary-exposure pathways contribute significantly to chronic Pb exposure and toxic effects in aquatic biota.     

Acute enantioselective toxicity of fipronil and its desulfinyl photoproduct to Ceriodaphnia dubia

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide increasingly used in applications such as rice culture, turf grass management, and residential pest control, with a high probability to contaminate aquatic environments. As a chiral pesticide, fipronil is released to the environment as a racemic mixture (equal amounts of optical isomers called enantiomers). Enantiomers can have different toxicological and biological activity; however, information on these differences, which is necessary for accurate risk assessment of chiral pesticides, is limited. Here we examine the acute toxicity of fipronil enantiomers, the racemate, and its photoproduct (desulfinyl fipronil) to Ceriodaphnia dubia. The 48-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values based on measured concentrations of each compound indicate the (+) enantiomer (LC50 = 10.3 +/- 1.1 microg/L, mean +/- standard error [SE]) was significantly more toxic to C. dubia than either the (-) enantiomer (LC50 = 31.9 +/- 2.2 microg/L) or racemate (LC50 = 17.7 +/- 1.3 microg/L). To account for any potential loss of fipronil through photolysis, tests were performed under light (fluorescent) and dark exposure conditions, and no significant differences in toxicity were observed. Desulfinyl fipronil, the major photodegradation product, which is not chiral, was detected at < 1% of each parent compound in test solutions after 48 h. Separate toxicity tests with desulfinyl fipronil found a > 20-fold higher LC50 (355 +/- 9.3 microg/L) compared to the fipronil racemate, suggesting lower adverse effects to C. dubia as a result of fipronil photolysis. The present results suggest selection of the (-) enantiomer in fipronil production for lower impacts to C. dubia; however, the consistency and relevancy of fipronil's enantiomer-specific activity at both acute and chronic levels of concern to additional target and nontarget species needs further consideration.     

Importance of calcium in modifying the acute toxicity of sodium sulphate to Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna

Modification of the acute toxicity of sodium sulphate to Hyalella azteca and Daphnia magna was investigated using exposure water with different levels of water hardness (expressed as CaCO3 equivalents) and calcium-magnesium molar (Ca:Mg) ratios. The influence of Ca:Mg ratios on the toxicity of sodium and potassium chloride to D. magna also was investigated. For both species, the mean lethal concentrations that resulted in mortality of 50% of the sample population (LC50s), expressed as mg SO4(2-)/L, were increased significantly in harder water and in water with higher Ca:Mg ratios. The LC50s for H. azteca increased from 569 to 5259 mg/L with a change in water hardness from 25 to 250 mg/L. Furthermore, modifying the Ca:Mg ratio from 0.7 to 7.0 at a constant hardness of 100 mg/L significantly increased LC50s from 2101 to 2725 mg/L. The LC50s for D. magna were also significantly higher in harder water with LC50s increasing from 1194 to 3203 mg/L with a change in water hardness from 25 to 100 mg/L. In addition, modifying the Ca:Mg ratio from 0.7 to 7.0 significantly increased LC50s from 1194 to 1985 at a constant hardness of 25 mg/L, and from 3203 to 4395 mg/L at a constant hardness of 100 mg/L. No significant change in the toxicity of potassium or sodium chloride to D. magna was observed in waters with higher Ca:Mg ratios.     

Influence of water quality and age on nickel toxicity to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

This research characterized the effects of water quality and organism age on the toxicity of nickel (Ni) to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to facilitate the accurate development of site-specific water-quality criteria. Nickel sulfate hexahydrate (NiSO4 x 6H2O) was used as the Ni source for performing acute toxicity tests (median lethal concentration after 96-h exposure [96-h LC50]) with < 1-d-old and 28-d-old P. promelas under varying regimes of hardness, pH, alkalinity, and natural organic matter (NOM). The toxicity of Ni was inversely related to water hardness between hardness values of 20 and 150 mg/L (as CaCO3). Below 30 mg/L alkalinity, Ni toxicity was related to alkalinity. The effect of pH was confounded by hardness and the presence of NOM. In the absence of NOM, the toxicity of Ni increased as pH increased at high hardness and alkalinity. In general, 28-d-old fish were less sensitive than < 1-d-old fish to Ni. This lower sensitivity ranged from 12-fold at low hardness and alkalinity (20 and 4 mg/L, respectively) to 5-fold at high hardness and alkalinity (100 and 400 mg/L, respectively). The presence of NOM (10 mg/L as dissolved organic carbon [DOC]) reduced Ni toxicity by up to 50%, but this effect appeared to be saturated above DOC at 5 mg/L. Incubating Ni with the NOM solution from 1 to 17 days had no effect on Ni toxicity. When using multivariate analysis, the 96-h LC50 for Ni was a function of fish age, alkalinity, hardness, and NOM (96-h LC50 = -0.642 + 0.270(fish age) + 0.005(alkalinity) + 0.018(hardness) + 0.138(DOC)). When using this model, we found a strong relationship between measured and predicted 96-h LC50 values (r2 = 0.94) throughout the treatment water qualities. The biotic ligand model (BLM) did not accurately predict Ni toxicity at high or low levels of alkalinity. Results of our research suggest that the BLM could be improved by considering NiCO3 to be bioavailable.     

Acute and chronic toxicity of boron to a variety of freshwater organisms

Boron enters the aquatic environment from various sources, including weathering of borates, sewage effluents, coal combustion, use of cleaning compounds, and agrochemicals. The present study was designed to generate data on acute and chronic boron toxicity in support of an update of water quality standards in Illinois, USA. We examined the acute toxicity of boron to eight different freshwater organisms including a fish, an insect, two crustaceans, and four bivalve mollusks. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present data on the toxicity of boron to freshwater mollusks. We also sought to clarify whether hardness or pH affect boron toxicity to aquatic life, and to quantify chronic effect levels in two freshwater species. Sensitivity among the various species ranged widely, with the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) being the most sensitive. Neither pH nor hardness had a consistent effect on acute boron toxicity to two crustaceans (Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca), but we observed evidence that chloride reduces boron toxicity to H. azteca. The fathead minnow, while more acutely sensitive than the other species, had a lower acute to chronic ratio than did H. azteca, which had reduced reproduction at 13?mg/L. While we do not know the extent to which the eight tested species represent the range of sensitivities of native but untested species in Illinois, the current water quality standard for Illinois (1?mg/L) is conservative with regard to the native species tested thus far.     

Acute toxicity of copper, ammonia, and chlorine to glochidia and juveniles of freshwater mussels (Unionidae)

The objective of the present study was to determine acute toxicity of copper, ammonia, or chlorine to larval (glochidia) and juvenile mussels using the recently published American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard guide for conducting laboratory toxicity tests with freshwater mussels. Toxicity tests were conducted with glochidia (24- to 48-h exposures) and juveniles (96-h exposures) of up to 11 mussel species in reconstituted ASTM hard water using copper, ammonia, or chlorine as a toxicant. Copper and ammonia tests also were conducted with five commonly tested species, including cladocerans (Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia; 48-h exposures), amphipod (Hyalella azteca; 48-h exposures), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; 96-h exposures), and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas; 96-h exposures). Median effective concentrations (EC50s) for commonly tested species were >58 microg Cu/L (except 15 microg Cu/L for C. dubia) and >13 mg total ammonia N/L, whereas the EC50s for mussels in most cases were <45 microg Cu/L or <12 mg N/L and were often at or below the final acute values (FAVs) used to derive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1996 acute water quality criterion (WQC) for copper and 1999 acute WQC for ammonia. However, the chlorine EC50s for mussels generally were >40 microg/L and above the FAV in the WQC for chlorine. The results indicate that the early life stages of mussels generally were more sensitive to copper and ammonia than other organisms and that, including mussel toxicity data in a revision to the WQC, would lower the WQC for copper or ammonia. Furthermore, including additional mussel data in 2007 WQC for copper based on biotic ligand model would further lower the WQC.     

Increased toxicity to invertebrates associated with a mixture of atrazine and organophosphate insecticides

This study examined the joint toxicity of atrazine and three organophosphate (OP) insecticides (chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion, and diazinon) exposed to Hyalella azteca and Musca domestica. A factorial design was used to evaluate the toxicity of binary mixtures in which the lethal concentration/lethal dose (LC1/LD1, LC5/LD5, LC15/LD15, and LC50/LD50) of each OP was combined with atrazine concentrations of 0, 10, 40, 80, and 200 microg/L for H. azteca and 0, 200, and 2,000 ng/mg for M. domestica. Atrazine concentrations (> or = 40 microg/L) in combination with each OP caused a significant increase in toxicity to H. azteca compared with the OPs dosed individually. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity also was examined for the individual OPs with and without atrazine treatment. Atrazine in combination with each of the OPs resulted in a significant decrease in AChE activity compared with the OPs dosed individually. In addition, H. azteca that were pretreated with atrazine (> or = 40 microg/L) were much more sensitive to the OP insecticides compared with H. azteca that were not pretreated with atrazine before being tested. Topical exposure to atrazine concentrations did not significantly increase OP toxicity to M. domestica. The results of this study indicate the potential for increased toxicity in organisms exposed to environmental mixtures.     

Effects of water hardness on toxicological responses to chronic waterborne silver exposure in early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout embryos and larvae were exposed to 0, 0.1, and 1 microg/L total silver (as AgNO3) in water of three different hardnesses (soft water [2 mg/L as CaCO3], moderately hard water [150 mg/L], and hard water [400 mg/L]) in a flow-through system from fertilization to swim-up (64 d). The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of water hardness on chronic silver toxicity. In the absence of silver, elevating hardness had a positive effect on early life stage survival and development, significantly decreasing mortality and accelerating time to 50% swim-up. Following hatch, exposure to 1 microg/L Ag significantly increased mortality relative to exposure to 0 microg/L Ag. No significant effects of silver on time to 50% hatch were observed; however, time to 50% swim-up was delayed, and 50% swim-up was not achieved over the course of the experiment during some exposures to 1 microg/L Ag. These results suggest that the current Canadian Water Quality Guideline (http://www.ccme.ca/assets/pdf/e1_062.pdf) of 0.1 microg/L Ag is sufficient in preventing mortality and altered development in early life stages of rainbow trout. Increasing water hardness from 2 to 150 or 400 mg/L was modestly protective against the mortality and delays in time to 50% swim-up associated with exposure to 1 microg/L Ag. The 150- and 400-mg/L hardnesses were equally protective against mortality, but 150-mg/L was more protective than 400-mg/L hardness against the delays in time to 50% swim-up. Overall, the protective effects of hardness on chronic silver toxicity in early life stages of rainbow trout are modest but similar to the protection afforded to acute silver toxicity in juvenile and adult rainbow trout.     

Influence of water hardness and sulfate on the acute toxicity of chloride to sensitive freshwater invertebrates

Total dissolved solids (TDS) represent the sum of all common ions (e.g., Na, K, Ca, Mg, chloride, sulfate, and bicarbonate) in freshwater. Currently, no federal water quality criteria exist for the protection of aquatic life for TDS, but because the constituents that constitute TDS are variable, the development of aquatic life criteria for specific ions is more practical than development of aquatic life criteria for TDS. Chloride is one such ion for which aquatic life criteria exist; however, the current aquatic life criteria dataset for chloride is more than 20 years old. Therefore, additional toxicity tests were conducted in the current study to confirm the acute toxicity of chloride to several potentially sensitive invertebrates: water flea (Ceriodaphnia dubia), fingernail clams (Sphaerium simile and Musculium transversum), snail (Gyraulus parvus), and worm (Tubifex tubifex), and determine the extent to which hardness and sulfate modify chloride toxicity. The results indicated a significant ameliorating effect of water hardness (calcium and magnesium) on chloride toxicity for all species tested except the snail; for example, the 48-h chloride median lethal concentration (LC50) for C. dubia at 50?mg/L hardness (977?mg Cl(-) /L) was half that at 800?mg/L hardness (1,836?mg Cl(-) /L). Conversely, sulfate over the range of 25 to 600?mg/L exerted a negligible effect on chloride toxicity to C. dubia. Rank order of LC50 values for chloride at a given water hardness was in the order (lowest to highest): S. simile?相似文献   

Influence of water chemistry on the acute toxicity of copper and zinc to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia cf dubia

This study determined the influence of key water chemistry parameters (pH, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon [DOC], and hardness) on the aqueous speciation of copper and zinc and its relationship to the acute toxicity of these metals to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia cf dubia. Immobilization tests were performed for 48-h in synthetic or natural waters buffered at various pH values from 5.5 to 8.4 (other chemical parameters held constant). The toxicity of copper to C. cf dubia decreased fivefold with increasing pH, whereas the toxicity of zinc increased fivefold with increasing pH. The effect of DOC on copper and zinc toxicity to C. cf dubia was determined using natural fulvic acid in the synthetic water. Increasing DOC was found to decrease linearly the toxicity of copper, with the mean effect concentration of copper that immobilized 50% of the cladocerans (EC50) value 45 times higher at 10 mg/L, relative to 0.1 mg/L DOC at pH 6.5. In contrast, the addition of 10 mg/L DOC only resulted in a very small (1.3-fold) reduction in the toxicity of zinc to C. cf dubia. Copper toxicity to C. cf dubia generally did not vary as a function of hardness, whereas zinc toxicity was reduced by a factor of only two, with an increase in water hardness from 44 to 374 mg CaCO3/L. Increasing bicarbonate alkalinity of synthetic waters (30-125 mg/L as CaCO3) decreased the toxicity of copper up to fivefold, which mainly could be attributed to the formation of copper-carbonate complexes, in addition to a pH effect. The toxicity of copper added to a range of natural waters with varying DOC content, pH, and hardness was consistent with the toxicity predicted using the data obtained from the synthetic waters.     

Effects of ligand-bound silver on Ceriodaphnia dubia

In aqueous media, ionic silver concentrations are low and transport occurs in the colloidal phase. In the aquatic environment, silver forms 1:1 complexes with thiol-containing compounds such as cysteine and glutathione. In order to quantitatively characterize the risk associated with silver in aquatic ecosystems, the bioavailabilities and toxicities of silver cysteinate and silver glutathionate were characterized. Static renewal bioassays were conducted with Ceriodaphnia dubia to estimate chronic toxicity, using mortality and reproduction as endpoints. Silver nitrate was the most lethal compound, with a median lethal concentration (8-d LC50) of 0.32 microg Ag/L (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.19-0.54). The 48-h LC50 for AgNO3 was 0.5 microg/L and did not change significantly through 8 d. The presence of food in the bioassay did not change the 48-h LC50 for AgNO3. Silver glutathionate (AgGSH) and silver cysteinate (AgCys) induced less mortality during the 8-d bioassay. Silver cysteinate appeared to have the greatest effect on fecundity, with a no-observable-effect concentration (NOEC) less than 0.001 microg/L. Silver nitrate and AgGSH had lowest-observable-effect concentration (LOEC) values (nominal concentrations) of 0.01 and 0.6 microg/L, respectively. Results indicate that the ligand-bound silver in these laboratory studies is bioavailable and impairs reproduction of C. dubia at low aqueous concentrations.     

Increased toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia in mixtures of atrazine and diazinon at environmentally realistic concentrations

The acute toxicity of diazinon in combination with atrazine concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 40 microg/L was evaluated using Ceriodaphnia dubia. Atrazine concentrations as low as 5 microg/L in combination with diazinon significantly increased toxicity to C. dubia compared to diazinon alone. Atrazine and diazinon residues within water samples collected from 65 subbasins throughout Denton, Texas, USA were used to assess the environmental relevance of pesticide concentrations. A geographical information system was used to examine the relationship between subbasin land uses and pesticide concentrations. Significant correlations were observed between in situ atrazine and diazinon concentrations and some subbasin land uses. Atrazine was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated to diazinon during some months. Of the 276 samples collected, 39% exceeded our experimentally derived diazinon LC(50) value, and 39% exceeded our minimum atrazine concentration of 5.0 microg/L. Results indicate the potential for increased toxicity from mixtures of compounds at environmentally realistic concentrations.     

Ecotoxicologic impacts of agricultural drain water in the Salinas River, California, USA

The Salinas River is the largest of the three rivers that drain into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in central California (USA). Large areas of this watershed are cultivated year-round in row crops, and previous laboratory studies have demonstrated that acute toxicity of agricultural drain water to Ceriodaphnia dubia is caused by the organophosphate (OP) pesticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon. We investigated chemical contamination and toxicity in waters and sediments in the river downstream of an agricultural drain water input. Ecological impacts of drain water were investigated by using bioassessments of macroinvertebrate community structure. Toxicity identification evaluations were used to characterize chemicals responsible for toxicity. Salinas River water downstream of the agricultural drain was acutely toxic to the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia, and toxicity to C. dubia was highly correlated with combined toxic units (TUs) of chlorpyrifos and diazinon. Laboratory tests were used to demonstrate that sediments in this system were acutely toxic to the amphipod Hyalella azteca, a resident invertebrate. Toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs) conducted on sediment pore water suggested that toxicity to amphipods was due in part to OP pesticides; concentrations of chlorpyrifos in pore water sometimes exceeded the 10-d mean lethal concentration (LC50) for H. azteca. Potentiation of toxicity with addition of the metabolic inhibitor piperonyl butoxide suggested that sediment toxicity also was due to other non-metabolically activated compounds. Macroinvertebrate community structure was highly impacted downstream of the agricultural drain input, and a number of macroinvertebrate community metrics were negatively correlated with combined TUs of chlorpyrifos and diazinon, as well as turbidity associated with the drain water. Some macroinvertebrate metrics were also correlated with bank vegetation cover. This study suggests that pesticide pollution is the likely cause of ecological damage in the Salinas River, and this factor may interact with other stressors associated with agricultural drain water to impact the macroinvertebrate community in the system.     

Studies of the environmental fate and effect of aircraft deicing fluids: detection of 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

This paper presents the results of a number of field and laboratory studies to evaluate the environmental impact of aircraft deicing and anti-icing fluids (ADAFs) on aquatic systems. Both 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (5-MeBt) and 4-methyl-1H-benzotriazole (4-MeBt), known additives to ADAFs, were found in whole-tissue extracts from minnows placed downstream of an effluent outfall that receives ADAF contaminated runoff from General Mitchell International Airport (Milwaukee, WI, USA). Neither of these compounds was detected in tissues from minnows placed upstream from the airport. A toxicity assessment of water collected during the minnow exposure studies utilizing Hyalella azteca, Pimephales promelas, and Ceriodaphnia dubia showed greater toxicity in a secondary airport outfall containing ADAFs when compared to upstream non-ADAF-contaminated samples. In two 28-d static renewal tests using 5-MeBt laboratory-fortified waters, 5-MeBt was detected in whole-tissue extracts of minnows at all concentrations tested. In studies using laboratory water fortified with 5-MeBt, the median lethal concentration (LC50) of 5-MeBt for P. promelas was found to be 22.0 mg/L. The LC50 for C. dubia to 5-MeBt laboratory-fortified water was found to be 81.3 mg/L. The 25% inhibition concentration (IC25) of 5-MeBt for the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum was 23.2 mg/L, and the average median effective concentration (EC50) for Microtox was 4.25 mg/L. The results of these field and lab studies indicate that additives, other than glycols, used in aircraft deicing fluids can be found in aquatic systems and may be of greater risk than previously believed.     

Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Imidacloprid to the Aquatic Invertebrates <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus tentans</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hyalella azteca</Emphasis> under Constant- and Pulse-Exposure Conditions

The toxicity of imidacloprid, a nicotinic mimic insecticide, to the aquatic invertebrates Chironomus tentans and Hyalella azteca, was first evaluated in static 96-hour tests using both technical material (99.2% pure) and Admire, a commercially available formulated product (240 g a.i. L(-1)). The 96-h lethal concentration (LC)50 values for technical imidacloprid and Admire were 65.43 and 17.44 microg/L, respectively, for H. azteca, and 5.75 and 5.40 microg/L, respectively, for C. tentans. Admire was subsequently used in 28-day chronic tests with both species. Exposure scenarios consisted of a constant- and a pulse-exposure regime. The pulse exposure lasted for four days, after which time the animals were transferred to clean water for the remaining 24 days of the study. Assessments were made on both day 10 and day 28. In the C. tentans under constant exposure, larval growth on day 10 was significantly reduced at 3.57 microg/L imidacloprid, the lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC). The no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) and LOEC for the 28-day exposure duration (adult survival and emergence) were 1.14 and greater than 1.14 mug/L, respectively; the associated LC50 and LC25 were 0.91 and 0.59 microg/L, respectively. The LOEC for the pulse treatment was greater than 3.47 microg/L, but the day 10 LC25 was 3.03 microg/L. In the H. azteca tests, the day 10 and 28 constant exposure, as well as the day 28 pulse exposure, LOEC (survival) values were similar at 11.95, 11.46, and 11.93 microg/L, respectively. The day 10 and 28 constant exposure effective concentration (EC)25s (dry weight) were also similar, at 6.22 and 8.72 microg/L, respectively, but were higher than the pulse-exposure day 10 LOEC and EC25 (dry weight) values of 3.53 and 2.22 microg/L, respectively. Overall, C. tentans was more sensitive to acute and chronic imidacloprid exposure, but less sensitive to a single pulse, than H. azteca. Chronic, low-level exposure to imidacloprid may therefore reduce invertebrate survival and growth, but organisms are able to recover from short-term pulse exposure to similar imidacloprid concentrations if the stressor is removed after four days.