... be the most sensitive to naphthalene and phenanthrene com-pared to the freshwater phytoplankt... more ... be the most sensitive to naphthalene and phenanthrene com-pared to the freshwater phytoplankton and to the labora-tory alga. ... Gordon and Prouse (1973), Shiels etal (1973) and Fontaine et al (1974) also observed varying effects of hydrocarbons on phytoplankton depending ...
The European Water Framework Directive [1] and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive [2] ... more The European Water Framework Directive [1] and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive [2] lay down a framework for maintaining or obtaining good ecological and chemical status of European surface and coastal water bodies by the year 2015. EQSs have been set for a range of priority substances (PSs) and have to be obeyed either by the use of emission reduction or end-of-pipe technology. The original list of PSs only regulates 33 substances, so even if the EQSs are met for a given water body, other substances may ...
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Aug 1, 1997
The acute toxicities of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and tributyltin (TBT) to the marine c... more The acute toxicities of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and tributyltin (TBT) to the marine copepod Acartia tonsa were tested in 48-h tests at two salinities, 18 and 28. For LAS 48-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values were 2.1 and 8.8 mg/L, respectively. For TBT the 48-h ...
The uptake and accumulation of most electrolytes will change with pH because of the different spe... more The uptake and accumulation of most electrolytes will change with pH because of the different speciation states of these compounds at various pH. Non-ionized compounds will partition into fatty and organic phases (such as cell membranes) more readily than the corresponding charged compounds, and therefore a higher toxicity can be expected. The current study examines the pH-dependent toxicity and bioaccumulation of the bivalent weak base chloroquine (pK(a): 10.47 and 6.33, log K(OW) 4.67) tested on Salix viminalis (basket willow) and Daphnia magna (water flea). The transpiration rates of hydroponically grown willow cuttings were used to determine the toxicity of chloroquine at pH levels of 6, 7, 8, and 9. Root concentration factors were calculated from solution measurements. Results showed more than 10-fold higher toxicity and four to seven times higher root concentration factor at pH 9 than at pH 6. The toxicity of chloroquine was tested on Daphnia magna using the standard Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development acute toxicity test modified to accommodate testing at pH levels of 7, 8, and 9. Increasing toxicity was seen at higher pH. The results of the current study confirm that the toxicity of weak bases with intermediate pK(a) values is higher at high pH levels.
Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in cosmetic and sunscreen product... more Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in cosmetic and sunscreen products and can enter the aquatic environment. Therefore, we investigated the subchronic toxicity of 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP1) on the marine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa in an early life-stage development study. Since developmental endpoints depend on environmental conditions, a preceding study of A. tonsa development was performed at three temperatures, four salinities, four light:dark regimes, six food densities, and four culture densities. Times elapsed until 50% of the population had reached a copepodite stage (DT(½) ) at the different conditions were calculated. The DT(½) values decreased from 296 h at 15°C to 89 h at 25°C and were also affected by salinity (126 h at 15‰ and 167 h at 30‰), whereas the light:dark regime and culture density influenced development only to a minor extent. BP1 was found acutely toxic at 2.6 mg/L (48-h median lethal concentration [LC50]). The toxicity of BP1 on early life-stage development was studied in combinations of three temperatures (15, 20, 25°C) and three salinities (15, 20, 25‰) using five toxicant concentrations between 0.051 and 2 mg/L in each scenario. Concentrations causing 10 and 50% inhibition of development (EC10 and EC50) were determined. Acartia tonsa was most resistant towards BP1 at 20°C where an EC50 of 1.1 mg/L was found, whereas EC50 values were significantly lower at 15°C (0.49 mg/L) and 25°C (0.77 mg/L), respectively. The EC50 also decreased with increasing salinity. Our results demonstrate that environmental conditions do influence toxicity test results; thus, they need to be considered carefully when developing test protocols as well as for environmental risk assessments of chemicals.
We derive equations for the effective concentration giving 10% inhibition (EC10) with 95% confide... more We derive equations for the effective concentration giving 10% inhibition (EC10) with 95% confidence limits for probit (log-normal), Weibull, and logistic dose-response models on the basis of experimentally derived median effective concentrations (EC50s) and the curve slope at the central point (50% inhibition). For illustration, data from closed, freshwater algal assays are analyzed using the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata with growth rate as the response parameter. Dose-response regressions for four test chemicals (tetraethylammonium bromide, musculamine, benzonitrile, and 4-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy-phenol) with ranges of representative slopes at 50% response (0.54-2.62) and EC50s (2.20-357 mg/L) were selected. Reference EC50s and EC10s with 95% confidence limits using probit or Weibull models are calculated by nonlinear regression on the whole dataset using a dose-response regression program with variance weighting and proper inverse estimation. The Weibull model provides the best fit to the data for all four chemicals. Predicted EC10s (95% confidence limits) from our derived equations are quite accurate; for example, with 4-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy-phenol and the probit model, we obtain 1.40 (1.22-1.61) mg/L versus 1.40 (1.20- 1.64) mg/L obtained from the nonlinear regression program. The main advantage of the approach is that EC10 or ECx (where x = 1-99) can be predicted from well-determined responses around EC20 to EC80 without experimental data in the low- or high-response range. Problems with the estimation of confidence interval for EClow,x (concentration predicted to cause x% inhibition) from algal growth inhibition also are addressed. Large confidence intervals may be the result of experimental error and lack of a well-defined reference response value.
Acute and reproductive toxicity tests were conducted on seven strains of Daphnia magna from six l... more Acute and reproductive toxicity tests were conducted on seven strains of Daphnia magna from six laboratories in five countries. 3,4-Dichloroaniline (DCA) and fenoxycarb were used as test chemicals. Acute toxicity tests revealed that estimated EC(50) (50% effective concentration) values for DCA varied by a factor of 2.1 among strains (310-640 microg/L), whereas the EC(50) values for fenoxycarb varied by a factor of 4 (210-860 microg/L). EC(50) values for reproductive toxicity tests with DCA ranged from 5.9 to 38 microg/L among strains. Fenoxycarb exposure induced the production of male neonates in all the strains used in the present study. Estimated EC(50) values for the induction of male offspring were highly variable among strains: sensitivity to fenoxycarb differed by a factor of approximately 23 overall (0.45-10 microg/L). The present pre-validation tests suggest that induction of male sex in neonates by a juvenile hormone analog is universal among genetically different strains. Decreased total numbers of neonates at increased concentrations of fenoxycarb as well as other juvenoids may, however, obscure the incidence of male neonates production in the 21-day reproduction tests due to the low statistical power.
... be the most sensitive to naphthalene and phenanthrene com-pared to the freshwater phytoplankt... more ... be the most sensitive to naphthalene and phenanthrene com-pared to the freshwater phytoplankton and to the labora-tory alga. ... Gordon and Prouse (1973), Shiels etal (1973) and Fontaine et al (1974) also observed varying effects of hydrocarbons on phytoplankton depending ...
The European Water Framework Directive [1] and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive [2] ... more The European Water Framework Directive [1] and the Environmental Quality Standards Directive [2] lay down a framework for maintaining or obtaining good ecological and chemical status of European surface and coastal water bodies by the year 2015. EQSs have been set for a range of priority substances (PSs) and have to be obeyed either by the use of emission reduction or end-of-pipe technology. The original list of PSs only regulates 33 substances, so even if the EQSs are met for a given water body, other substances may ...
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Aug 1, 1997
The acute toxicities of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and tributyltin (TBT) to the marine c... more The acute toxicities of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and tributyltin (TBT) to the marine copepod Acartia tonsa were tested in 48-h tests at two salinities, 18 and 28. For LAS 48-h median lethal concentration (LC50) values were 2.1 and 8.8 mg/L, respectively. For TBT the 48-h ...
The uptake and accumulation of most electrolytes will change with pH because of the different spe... more The uptake and accumulation of most electrolytes will change with pH because of the different speciation states of these compounds at various pH. Non-ionized compounds will partition into fatty and organic phases (such as cell membranes) more readily than the corresponding charged compounds, and therefore a higher toxicity can be expected. The current study examines the pH-dependent toxicity and bioaccumulation of the bivalent weak base chloroquine (pK(a): 10.47 and 6.33, log K(OW) 4.67) tested on Salix viminalis (basket willow) and Daphnia magna (water flea). The transpiration rates of hydroponically grown willow cuttings were used to determine the toxicity of chloroquine at pH levels of 6, 7, 8, and 9. Root concentration factors were calculated from solution measurements. Results showed more than 10-fold higher toxicity and four to seven times higher root concentration factor at pH 9 than at pH 6. The toxicity of chloroquine was tested on Daphnia magna using the standard Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development acute toxicity test modified to accommodate testing at pH levels of 7, 8, and 9. Increasing toxicity was seen at higher pH. The results of the current study confirm that the toxicity of weak bases with intermediate pK(a) values is higher at high pH levels.
Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in cosmetic and sunscreen product... more Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters are widely used in cosmetic and sunscreen products and can enter the aquatic environment. Therefore, we investigated the subchronic toxicity of 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP1) on the marine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa in an early life-stage development study. Since developmental endpoints depend on environmental conditions, a preceding study of A. tonsa development was performed at three temperatures, four salinities, four light:dark regimes, six food densities, and four culture densities. Times elapsed until 50% of the population had reached a copepodite stage (DT(½) ) at the different conditions were calculated. The DT(½) values decreased from 296 h at 15°C to 89 h at 25°C and were also affected by salinity (126 h at 15‰ and 167 h at 30‰), whereas the light:dark regime and culture density influenced development only to a minor extent. BP1 was found acutely toxic at 2.6 mg/L (48-h median lethal concentration [LC50]). The toxicity of BP1 on early life-stage development was studied in combinations of three temperatures (15, 20, 25°C) and three salinities (15, 20, 25‰) using five toxicant concentrations between 0.051 and 2 mg/L in each scenario. Concentrations causing 10 and 50% inhibition of development (EC10 and EC50) were determined. Acartia tonsa was most resistant towards BP1 at 20°C where an EC50 of 1.1 mg/L was found, whereas EC50 values were significantly lower at 15°C (0.49 mg/L) and 25°C (0.77 mg/L), respectively. The EC50 also decreased with increasing salinity. Our results demonstrate that environmental conditions do influence toxicity test results; thus, they need to be considered carefully when developing test protocols as well as for environmental risk assessments of chemicals.
We derive equations for the effective concentration giving 10% inhibition (EC10) with 95% confide... more We derive equations for the effective concentration giving 10% inhibition (EC10) with 95% confidence limits for probit (log-normal), Weibull, and logistic dose-response models on the basis of experimentally derived median effective concentrations (EC50s) and the curve slope at the central point (50% inhibition). For illustration, data from closed, freshwater algal assays are analyzed using the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata with growth rate as the response parameter. Dose-response regressions for four test chemicals (tetraethylammonium bromide, musculamine, benzonitrile, and 4-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy-phenol) with ranges of representative slopes at 50% response (0.54-2.62) and EC50s (2.20-357 mg/L) were selected. Reference EC50s and EC10s with 95% confidence limits using probit or Weibull models are calculated by nonlinear regression on the whole dataset using a dose-response regression program with variance weighting and proper inverse estimation. The Weibull model provides the best fit to the data for all four chemicals. Predicted EC10s (95% confidence limits) from our derived equations are quite accurate; for example, with 4-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy-phenol and the probit model, we obtain 1.40 (1.22-1.61) mg/L versus 1.40 (1.20- 1.64) mg/L obtained from the nonlinear regression program. The main advantage of the approach is that EC10 or ECx (where x = 1-99) can be predicted from well-determined responses around EC20 to EC80 without experimental data in the low- or high-response range. Problems with the estimation of confidence interval for EClow,x (concentration predicted to cause x% inhibition) from algal growth inhibition also are addressed. Large confidence intervals may be the result of experimental error and lack of a well-defined reference response value.
Acute and reproductive toxicity tests were conducted on seven strains of Daphnia magna from six l... more Acute and reproductive toxicity tests were conducted on seven strains of Daphnia magna from six laboratories in five countries. 3,4-Dichloroaniline (DCA) and fenoxycarb were used as test chemicals. Acute toxicity tests revealed that estimated EC(50) (50% effective concentration) values for DCA varied by a factor of 2.1 among strains (310-640 microg/L), whereas the EC(50) values for fenoxycarb varied by a factor of 4 (210-860 microg/L). EC(50) values for reproductive toxicity tests with DCA ranged from 5.9 to 38 microg/L among strains. Fenoxycarb exposure induced the production of male neonates in all the strains used in the present study. Estimated EC(50) values for the induction of male offspring were highly variable among strains: sensitivity to fenoxycarb differed by a factor of approximately 23 overall (0.45-10 microg/L). The present pre-validation tests suggest that induction of male sex in neonates by a juvenile hormone analog is universal among genetically different strains. Decreased total numbers of neonates at increased concentrations of fenoxycarb as well as other juvenoids may, however, obscure the incidence of male neonates production in the 21-day reproduction tests due to the low statistical power.
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