Lethal and sublethal exposure and recovery effects of ozone-produced oxidants on adult white perch (Morone americana Gmelin)

Adult white perch (Morone americana), acclimated to 15°C, were exposed to a series of ozone-produced oxidant (OPO) concentrations for 96 h using continuous flow bioassay techniques. Toxicity data were analyzed using both response surface modeling and standard probit regression. White perch were also exposed to a series of near and sublethal OPO concentrations, selected from the acute toxicity study, for 96 h and then placed in clean non-ozonated water for 14 days. Blood pH, hematocrit and gill histopathology were analyzed during exposure at 24, 48 and 96 h and after 4 and 14 days in the recovery period. Blood pH and hematocrit levels were analyzed statistically using standard ANOVA and multiple range tests. Histopathological effects were examined using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The 24-, 48- and 96-h LC₃₀'s were 0.38, 0.26 and 0.20 mg OPO l⁻¹, respectively. Blood pH was significantly reduced at concentrations 0.15 mg OPO l⁻¹ but not at 0.10 mg l⁻¹ or lower concentrations. Hematocrit significantly increased at concentrations 0.10 mg OPO l⁻¹. Histopathological examination revealed minimal effects on gill tissue at 0.01 mg OPO l⁻¹, moderate epithelial sloughing and heavy mucus production at 0.05 mg OPO l⁻¹ and extreme tissue damage at concentrations 0.10 mg l⁻¹. Results from both the acute toxicity and the exposure and recovery study were compared with the effects of chlorine-produced oxidants (CPO) obtained from the literature. Both OPO and CPO appear to have similar effects on adult white perch.     

Toxicity of silver to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

The mean 96-h LC₅₀'s of silver with rainbow trout were 6.5 μg l⁻¹ and 13.0 μg l⁻¹ in soft water (approximately 26 mg l⁻¹ hardness as CaCO₃) and hard water (350 mg l⁻¹ hardness as CaCO₃), respectively. The long-term, “no effect” concentration for silver, added to the water as silver nitrate, was between 0.09 and 0.17 μg l⁻¹ after 18 months exposure in soft water. The “no effect” concentration is that concentration range which defines no observed effect. Based on mortalities different from the control, no mortalities attributable to silver occurred at 0.09 μg Ag l⁻¹, whereas 17.2% mortality occurred to fish exposed to 0.17 μg ll⁻¹. The “no effect” concentration does not reflect possible effects of silver on spawning behavior or reproduction, since female rainbow trout will not generally reach sexual maturity before 3 yr. At silver concentrations of 0.17 μg l⁻¹ or greater, silver caused premature hatching of eggs and reduced growth rate in fry. In one experiment, the eggs were completely hatched within 10 days of exposure; whereas, control eggs completed hatching after 42 days. The prematurely erupted fry were not well developed and frequently died. The growth rate of surviving fry was greatly reduced.     

Effects of aluminum and pH on the early life stages of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui)

The sensitivity of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui to acidified conditions was examined by exposing recently-hatched fish to pH levels ranging from 5.1 to 7.5 and aluminum concentrations ranging from 32 to 1000 μg l⁻¹. The range of pH and aluminum concentrations included those found in the northern part of the species' range. Acute bioassays (96 h) conducted at a pH of 5.1 and aluminum concentrations 180 μgl⁻¹ resulted in total mortality. The LC₅₀ calculated for this species was 130 μg l⁻¹. At pH values of 6.1 and 7.5, mortality was low ( 20%) regardless of aluminum concentrations. A 30-day chronic toxicity test was conducted at three pH levels (low 5.1, intermediate 5.5–5.7 and high 7.3), each with two aluminum concentrations (approx. 0 and 200 μg l⁻¹). Survival was significantly lower in the test at pH 5.1 with aluminum, and at pH 5.7 with aluminum treatments than in the other treatments. Fish in the pH 5.1 without aluminum treatment had intermediate survival, while fish exposed to pH 5.7 without aluminum, pH 7.3 without aluminum and pH 7.3 with aluminum had high, and similar, survival. Sublethal effects on fish exposed to low pH and aluminum included deformities, reduced activity and abnormal swimming behavior. We conclude that the sensitivity of smallmouth bass to low pH and aluminum concentrations corroborates field investigations linking acidification and aluminum mobilization with depletion of smallmouth bass populations.     

Toxicity, uptake and survey studies of boron in the marine environment

Little is known about the toxic and bioaccumulative dangers to aquatic life posed by borate discharge recently initiated by coastal British Columbia groundwood pulp mills. Bioassays with sodium metaborate and underyearling coho salmon (Onchorhynchus kisutch) in fresh water yielded a 283-h lc₅₀ of 113 μg ml⁻¹ (104, 123 = 95% confidence limits). Toxicity to underyearling coho in sea water appeared considerably greater with a 283 h lc₅₀ of 12.2 μg ml⁻¹ (10.89, 14.56 = 95% confidence limits). The disparity between fresh and saltwater boron toxicity to coho is not understood at this time. In salmonids, boron enters the tissues slowly, necessitating prolonged bioassay tests. Sockeye salmon (O. nerka) and juvenile oysters (Crassostrea gigas) exposed to sublethal doses of boron take up boron roughly in relation to its availability. Oysters show no bioaccumulative potential or prolonged retention of boron following cessation of dosage. Field surveys conducted before and after industrial borate emission confirm the lack of evidence for tissue bioaccumulation. Results of a survey of boron levels in receiving waters are reported. No hazard to salmonids of oysters at the present level of industrial discharge of boron (≤1 μg B ml⁻¹) is apparent from this work.     

Chronic toxicity of water-borne and dietary lead to rainbow trout (Salmo Gairdneri) in lake Ontario water

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) exposed to lead in Lake Ontario water demonstrated a 21-day LC₅₀ of 2.4 mg l⁻¹ lead. At lead concentrations ranging from 3 to 120 μg l⁻¹, log₁₀ of lead concentrations in most tissues of exposed fish appeared linearily related to log₁₀ of lead concentrations in water. Highest concentrations occurred in opercular bone followed by gill and kidney. Lead accumulation by brain was not clearly demonstrated. Exposure to lead in water at concentrations as low as 13 μg l⁻¹ caused significant increases in red blood cell (RBC) numbers, decreases in RBC volumes, decreases in RBC cellular iron content and decreases in RBC δ-amino levulinic acid dehydratase activity. No changes were observed in hematocrit or whole blood iron content. The changes indicated increased erythropoiesis to compensate for inhibition of hemoglobin production and increased mortality of mature red blood cells. After 32 weeks exposure to 120 μg l⁻¹ lead in water, 30% of remaining fish exhibited black tails, an early indication of spinal deformities. Lead added to food was not available for lead uptake by fish. Lead content of fish exposed to dietary lead was not elevated above control levels and the majority of lead consumed could be accounted for in the faeces. Dietary lead may have slightly inhibited uptake of dietary iron.     

Sources and behaviour of dinitrotoluene isomers in sea-water

The sources and behaviour of dinitrotoluene (DNT) isomers in the sea-water of Dokai Bay in Japan were investigated. DNT isomers such as 2,6-, 2,5-, 2,4-, 2,3- and 3,4-DNT were identified in an industrial effluent. One drain, the main source, discharged about 150 kg of DNT isomers as the maximum value in a day. This value roughly agrees with that obtained from seven months of monitoring of DNT isomers in sea-water. The monitoring revealed that about 76 kg of DNT isomers was discharged into the bay daily. 2,6-, 2,4- and 2,3-DNT were detected in the sea-water at the levels of 14,8-ND μg l⁻¹ (n = 82), 206-ND μg l⁻¹ (n = 82) and 0.412-ND μg l⁻¹ (n = 82), respectively. The relationship between the concentration of 2,4-DNT (Y) and the distance (X) is statistically expressed by the equation of Y = (6.38 ± 4.02)e^{−(0.269 ± 0.044)X}, and the relationship between the 2,6-DNT/2,4-DNT ratio (y) and the distance (X) is expressed as y = −(0.795 ± 0.131) X + (9.35 ± 4.1). These relationships reveal that the decrease of DNT isomers in the sea-water is caused by factors more complex than mechanical dilution by tidal action.     

The acute toxicity of dissolved elemental phosphorus to cod (Gadus morhua)

The acute toxicity of dissolved elemental phosphorus to cod (Gadus morhua) has been investigated in the absence of colloidal phosphorus. The 48 h lc₅₀ for dissolved elemental phosphorus is 14·4 μg l⁻¹, and evidence is presented that the incipient lethal level is ca. 1–2 μg l⁻¹. Elemental phosphorus was rapidly assimilated into the body tissues of the test animals. The distribution of phosphorus was homogeneous in the muscle tissue with levels ca. 10–30 times the exposure level, highest concentrations were measured in the liver.Preliminary data are reported which indicate that the biological half life of accumulated elemental phosphorus is very short when exposure is ended.     

Influence de sediments argileux incorpores au milieu d'insemination sur le succes de la fecondation chez la truite arc-en-ciel (Salmo Gairdneri)

The aim of this paper is to determine whether clay sediments suspended in water can prevent trout eggs from being fertilized. Kaolinite-rich clays (granulometric fraction: <2μm) (Fig. 1) were suspended in an artificial insemination diluent in doses ranging between 0 and 20 g l⁻¹. The eggs were exposed for 1, 10 or 20 min (experiment A) or inseminated (experiment B) in the diluent-sediment mixture. In experiment (C), the eggs were exposed to this mixture at three different temperatures (10, 15, 20°C). After insemination, the eggs were incubated for 10 days at 10°C and the percentage of eyed-eggs was used as an approximation of the fertility rate. The presence of clay sediments in the medium in which artificial insemination was carried out did not affect fertilization rate after the ovules had been exposed during 1 min to clay suspensions, at any of the temperatures used (8°C: Fig. 3; 10–15 or 20°C: Fig. 5) or at any of the sperm dilution rates (10⁻², 10⁻³, 10⁻⁴) (Fig. 3). On the contrary, there was a significant decline (P < 0.01) in the fertilization rate after the eggs had been exposed for 10 min at 8°C to doses of sediment exceeding 1.2 g l⁻¹ (Fig. 2). The fertilization rate also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when the dose of sediment in the medium increased after 20 min at 20°C and 40 min at 15°C (Fig. 4). The 15 and 20°C temperatures were unfavourable for the eggs anyway. It is probable that fertility decreased due to micropyle clogging when the eggs were exposed longer than 10 min to the sediments. It is concluded that presence of sediments in the medium in which the gametes meet does not prevent fertilization.     

The chronic effects of fluoride on the estuarine amphipods Grandidierella lutosa and G. lignorum

The toxicity of fluoride in the estuarine environment was tested, using a mixed culture of the estuarine amphipods Grandidierella lutosa and G. lignorum in life-cycle bioassays. Toxin was dosed in a continuous (intermittent) flow system using a proportional dilution doser. The tests ranged in duration from 39 to 90 days, spanning between 1 and 4 generations in that time. The tests were conducted in sea-water at temperatures of 23–25°C. Background sea-water levels during the experiments fluctuated between 1.3 and 1.7 mg l^−t F′. Improved population increases were detected in fluoride levels slightly above background. Maximum amphipod population increase was measured during three 90-day multi-generation experiments, at a mean fluoride level of 2.64 mg l⁻¹. Population performance returned to levels comparable to control at a mean for the 3 experiments of 5.0 mg l⁻¹ F′. Maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) was therefore, by definition, set at 5.0–6.2 mg l⁻¹ F′ (mean calculated for three 90-day experiments). Data on female fecundity suggested that the MATC might even be slightly lower, with a mean MATC of 4.15 mg l⁻¹ F′.     

Lethal toxicity of permethrin (NRDC-143) to rainbow trout, salmo gairdneri, in relation to body weight and water temperature

Lethal toxicity of permethrin varied inversely with water temperature and body weight. The 96 h LC 50 (median lethal concentration) for 1 g trout increased by an order of magnitude from 0.62 to 6.43 μg 1⁻¹ between 5 and 20°C. However between 5 and 10°C the 96 h LC 50 changed little from 0.6 μg 1⁻¹. Large trout (200 g) were considerably more tolerant to permethrin than small fish. Thus, the 96 h LC 50s for 1 and 200 g trout were 3.17 and 314 μg 1⁻¹ respectively at 15°C. The size effect was most pronounced between 1 and 50 g.It is to be noted that the application of permethrin for insect control coincides with the usual period of emergence of rainbow trout fry subsequent to a spawning period of April to late June.     

Distribution of halomethanes in potable waters of Kuwait

The distribution of bromine containing trihalomethanes in the water distribution system of Kuwait has been studied. Total halomethanes in the drinking water averaged 25.6 ± 9.1 μg l⁻¹ with a maximum of 50.5 μg l⁻¹. Average concentrations (μg l⁻¹) of individual compounds were: CHBr₃, 13.6 ± 4.6; CHBr₂Cl, 8.8 ± 3.7; CHCl₂Br, 3.3 ± 1.5. Water from roof top storage tanks contained significantly less halomethanes than that from underground reservoirs.     

The influence of substrate, pH, diet and temperature upon cadmium accumulation in the asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) in laboratory artificial streams

The influence of substrate, pH, diet and temperature upon the accumulation of cadmium (0.05 mg l⁻¹ dose < 0.001 mg l⁻¹ control) in the visceral mass of the Asiatic clam Corbicula fluminea was studied in laboratory artificial stream systems at intervals of 0, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14-day exposures. Four substrate conditions, sand; sand, silt and clay (SSC); sand, clay and organic matter (SCO); and no substrate (NoS), were considered. The greatest tissue accumulation of cadmium in C. fluminea occurred at 0.05 mg l⁻¹ Cd in NoS and the lowest in clams occupying SCO. Complexation of available metals, lower clam filtering rates and physical protection by the substrate were attributed to the depressed cadmium accumulation of clams exposed in the SCO substrate. Lower pH exposures (5.0 vs 7.8) significantly (P 0.05 level) reduced cadmium uptake at 21°C but had little effect at 9°C. Uptake was higher in clams fed with cadmium-exposed Chlamydomonas reinhardt at 21°C but not at 9°C. In temperature exposures alone at 0.05 mg l⁻¹ Cd, accumulation was significantly higher in C. fluminea exposed at 21°C than at 9°C. The results are discussed relative to the importance of standardized laboratory protocol and the use of C. fluminea as a bioindicator of heavy metal stress.     

Copper lethality to rainbow trout in waters of various hardness and pH

The 96 h median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of total dissolved copper varied from 20 μg 1⁻¹ in soft acid water to 520 μg l⁻¹ in hard alkaline water, in tests with hardness ranging from 30 to 360 mg l⁻¹ as CaCO₃ and pH from 5 to 9. The 3-dimensional response surface was complex, although an increase in hardness usually made copper less toxic. A good prediction of copper LC₅₀ at usual combinations of hardness and pH was given by the equation: LC₅₀ = antilog (1.933 + 0.0592 P_T + 0.4912 H_T + 0.4035 P_TH_T + 0.4813 P²_T + 0.1403 H²_TThe transformed variables are and A somewhat less accurate equation is provided for extreme combinations of hardness and pH.Trout of 10 g weight were 2.5 times more resistant than 0.7 g trout. Effect of size was apparently the same at different combinations of hardness and pH, and was predictable by an equation of the form LC₅₀ = Constant × Weight ^0.348.Ionic copper (Cu²⁺) and two ionized hydroxides (CuOH⁺ and Cu₂OH²⁺₂) seemed to be the toxic species of copper, since they yielded the smoothest response surface with the best fit to measured LC₅₀'s. The sum of these ions produced LC₅₀'s ranging from 0.09 μg l⁻¹ copper in soft alkaline water to 230 μg l⁻¹ in hard acid water. The ions were different in relative toxicity, or became more toxic at high pH, or both.     

Cardiovascular-respiratory responses of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) during chronic exposure to sublethal concentrations of cadmium

The effects of exposure to 3.6 and 6.4 μg l⁻¹ cadmium for periods up to 178 days on cardiac and ventilatory rates, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte adenosine triphosphate concentration in adult rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, were investigated. Except for slight transitory responses, 3.6 μg l⁻¹ cadmium had no effect on any of the cardiovascular/respiratory parameters. Significant increases in cardiac and ventilatory rates, blood hematocrit and hemoglobin were observed in fish exposed to 6.4 μg l⁻¹ Cd over the entire exposure period while erythrocyte ATP concentration declined during the last stages of exposure. Further experiments on the responses of fish exposed to 6.4 μg l⁻¹ Cd for 30 days demonstrated an impairment of oxygen transfer across the gill. The results are discussed in terms of possible gill impairment and hyperactivity as toxic responses to cadmium.     

Mechanism of NTA degradation by a bacterial mutant

Transport of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) into the cytoplasm of a bacterial mutant was an active process. The mutant was able to degrade NTA from an initial concentration of 290,000 μg l⁻¹ of NTA to less than 50 μg l⁻¹ in 45 min, representing a rate of 486 μg NTA degraded per hour per mg dry weight of cells. This extremely fast rate of NTA utilization was substantiated by kinetic studies in which a Km of 82 μg l⁻¹ and a V_max of 370 μg h⁻¹ (mg dry weight cells)⁻¹ were found. The maximal temperature for NTA degradation was 50°C. The ability of the mutant to metabolize NTA resided mainly in the cell membrane fraction. Exchange diffusion technique showed that glycine and acetic acid were the metabolic products of NTA degradation. No iminodiacetic acid (IDA), succinate or citrate could be detected.     

Detoxification of seawater used for gas scrubbing in the steel industry

Cyanide ion present in seawater after scrubbing blast furnace and coke ovens gases can be removed by sedimentation of hexacyanoferrate complexes followed by oxidation of residual cyanide with Caro's acid. Zinc ion is removed at the same time by adsorption on the hexacyanoferrate/hydrous ferric oxide precipitate.Sulphide is precipitated as ferrous sulphide, then oxidised by atmospheric oxygen. At 25°C and using an Fe/CN ratio of 1·00, initial concentrations of 50 mg l⁻¹ of CN⁻ and 10 mg l⁻¹ of Zn²⁺ in seawater are reduced to 5–7 mg l⁻¹ and 0·1 mg l⁻¹. Subsequent treatment with H₂SO₅/CN = 1·2 reduces the [CN⁻] to 0·1 mg l⁻¹.Treatment of a combined blast furnace/coke ovens effluent ([CN⁻] = 24 mgl⁻¹, [Zn²⁺] = 4·0 mgl⁻¹) with Fe/CN = 1·5 reduced [CN⁻] to 0·2 mg l⁻¹ and [Zn²⁺] to <0·1 mgl⁻¹. Subsequent treatment with H₂SO₅/CN = 2·0 reduced [CN⁻] to 0·2 mg l⁻¹. The process operates best in the pH range 7–9 and so is not affected by the buffer characteristics of seawater.     

Addition of NaOH, limestone slurry and finegrained limestone to acidified lake water and the effects on smolts of atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

A neutralization experiment comparing NaOH, limestone slurry and finegrained limestone was performed using smolts of Atlantic salmon as testfish. Smolts were raised on chronically acid Lake Liervatn (pH = 4.9–5.4, conductivity = 55 μ S cm⁻¹, Ca = 1.3 mg l⁻¹, labile Al = 40 μg l⁻¹). As a result testfish were sublethally stressed prior to the experiment, as indicated by low levels of plasma chloride. During the experiment, smolts were held in keepnets in the middle of large plastic enclosures without sediment contact. Rapid changes in pH and Al-speciation were recorded after addition of the neutralizing agents. No mortality of fish occurred during the 3 days exposure. Plasma chloride levels in fish exposed to limestone slurry, limestone and the lowest concentration of NaOH (pH = 5.9) did not differ significantly from levels in fish from the reference group. Fish exposed to the highest concentration of NaOH (pH > 7.45), however, experienced a significant decrease in plasma chloride levels. Increased sublethal stress in treatments with NaOH was presumably caused by the presence of aluminate ions [Al(OH)₄⁻] at high pH and by low concentrations of Ca. The importance of maintaining pH below 7 when using bases with monovalent cations is emphasized. Adding inorganic aluminium to the lake water induced loss of plasma chloride within 48 h at 70 μg labile Al l⁻¹ at pH 5.1 and 1.2 mgCa l⁻¹.     

Phthalic acid esters in water

Two phthalic acid esters, di(n-butyl)phthalate and di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, were surveyed in the river water, well water and city water of Tokyo metropolice area. In the river water these esters were found in the range of 0·4–6·8 μ gl⁻¹. The concentration was low in the upper reaches of the stream but increased downstream, giving no seasonal variation. The esters were not found in the well water examined. In the household tap water they were contained in the range of 1·2–3·3 μg l⁻¹ while in the raw water of water supply they were contained in the range of 1·9–8·2 μg l⁻¹. Results of jar test revealed that these esters were efficiently removed from water by using activated carbon or aluminium sulphate.     

Acute lethality, and sub-lethal effects of acetone, ethanol, and propylene glycol on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri

Acute lethality and sub-lethal effects of acetone, ethanol, and propylene glycol on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were examined. The 24 h LC₅₀ values for acetone and ethanol in a flow-through bioassay system at 10°C ± 0.5, are 6100 mg l⁻² and 11,200 mg l⁻¹, respectively. No mortality to fingerling trout was produced by propylene glycol at 50,000 mg l ⁻¹ during a 24 h exposure period in a static system.Acetone and ethanol, at about 0.48 and 0.26 of the fingerling LC₅₀, respectively, affected cardiovascular/respiratory parameters in adult rainbow trout. Acetone produced an increase in ventilation rate to a maximum of 158% of control values, as well as an increase in buccal pressure amplitude attaining a maximum of 410% of control values. Ethanol exposed fish exhibited a slight depression in ventilation rate and buccal pressure amplitude during initial stages of the 24 h exposure period. Ethanol had no effect on heart rate, despite a significant decrease in Q-T interval. Propylene glycol, at less than 0.08 of a concentration not producing apparent stress in fingerlings, had a mildly stimulatory effect on ventilation rate, and heart rate in adults. It is concluded that of the three solvents employed in this study, propylene glycol is most suitable for use as a solvent in fish toxicity tests.     

Acute and chronic toxicity of lead to rainbow trout salmo gairdneri, in hard and soft water

Lead was found to be highly toxic to rainbow trout in both hard water (hardness 353 mg l⁻¹ as CaCO₃) and soft water (hardness 28 mg l⁻¹. Analytical results differ greatly with methods of analysis when measuring concentrations of lead in the two types of water. This is exemplified in LC50's and maximum acceptable toxicant concentrations (MATC's) obtained when reported as dissolved lead vs total lead added in hard water. Two static bioassays in hard water gave 96-h LC50's of 1.32 and 1.47 mg l⁻¹ dissolved lead vs total lead LC50's of 542 and 471 mg l⁻¹, respectively. In a flow-through bioassay in soft water a 96-h LC50 of 1.17 mg l⁻¹, expressed as either dissolved or total lead, was obtained. From chronic bioassays, MATC's of lead for rainbow trout in hard water were between 18.2 and 31.7 μg l⁻¹ dissolved lead vs 120–360 μg l⁻¹ total lead. In soft water, where exposure to lead was initiated at the eyed egg stage of development, the MATC was between 4.1 and 7.6 μg l⁻¹. With exposure to lead beginning after hatching and swim-up of fry, the MATC was between 7.2 and 14.6 μg l⁻¹. Therefore, fish were more sensitive to the effects of lead when exposed as eggs.