USGS Science⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70177042

Acute toxicity of fire control chemicals to Daphnia magna (Straus) and Selenastrum capricornutum (Printz)

Susan F. McDonald·Steven J. Hamilton·Kevin J. Buhl·James F. Heisinger
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Acute toxicity tests were conducted exposing Daphnia magna Straus (daphnid) in soft and hard reconstituted waters (hardness 42 and 162 mg/liter as CaCO 3 , respectively), and Selenastrum capricornutum Printz (algae) in ASTM algal assay medium (hardness 15 mg/liter as CaCO 3 ) to fire retardants Fire-Trol GTS-R, Fire-Trol LCG-R, and Phos-Chek D75-F, and foam suppressants Phos-Chek WD-881 and Silv-Ex. The chemicals were slightly toxic to practically harmless to daphnids and moderately toxic to algae. Water quality did not consistently alter the toxicity of the test chemicals to daphnids. The most toxic chemical to daphnids was Silv-Ex (48-hr EC 50 7 mg/liter in soft and hard waters), whereas the least toxic chemical to daphnids was Fire-Trol LCG-R (48-hr EC 50 848 mg/liter in soft water, 813 mg/liter in hard water). The most toxic chemical to algae was Fire-Trol LCG-R (96-hr IC 50 10 mg/liter), and the least toxic chemical was Phos-Chek D75-F (96-hr IC 50 79 mg/liter). Un-ionized ammonia concentrations near the EC 50 or IC 50 value in tests with the Fire-Trol compounds were frequently equal to or above reported LC 50 un-ionized ammonia concentrations. Un-ionized ammonia concentrations in tests with Phos-Chek D75-F were low, thus other toxic components present in the compounds probably contributed to the toxicity. When compared to the daphnids tested in ASTM soft water, the Fire-Trol compounds were most toxic to algae, whereas Phos-Chek D75-F and the foam suppressants were most toxic to daphnids. The results of these tests are comparable to those obtained from research conducted in other laboratories with the same species and similar chemicals. Accidental entry of fire-fighting chemicals into aquatic environments could adversely affect algae and aquatic invertebrates, thus disrupting ecosystem function.

Explore related subjects

Ecotoxicology and Environmental SafetyArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Susan F. McDonald, Steven J. Hamilton, Kevin J. Buhl, James F. Heisinger. 1996. Acute toxicity of fire control chemicals to Daphnia magna (Straus) and Selenastrum capricornutum (Printz). https://doi.org/10.1006/eesa.1996.0007

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2022

The relative importance of mercury methylation and demethylation in rice paddy soil varies depending on the presence of rice plants

Neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) accumulates in rice grain from paddy soil, where its concentration is controlled by microbial mercury methylation and demethylation. Both up- and down-regulation of methylation is known to occur in the presence of rice plants in comparison to non-vegetated paddy soils; the influence of rice plant presence/absence on demethylation is unknown. To assess the concurrent influence of rice plant presence/absence on methylation and demethylation, and to determine which process was more dominant in controlling soil MeHg concentrations, we maintained six rhizoboxes of paddy soil with and without rice plants. At the peak of plant growth, we simultaneously measured ambient MeHg, ambient inorganic mercury (IHg), and potential rate constants of methylation and demethylation (K meth and K demeth ) in soil using stable isotope tracers and ID-GC-ICPMS. We also measured organic matter content, elemental S, and water-extractable sulfate. We found MeHg concentrations were differentially controlled by MeHg production and degradation processes, depending on whether plants were present. In non-vegetated boxes, MeHg concentration was controlled by K meth , as evidenced by a strong and positive correlation, while K demeth had no relation to MeHg concentration. These results indicate methylation was the dominant driver of MeHg concentration in non-vegetated soil. In vegetated boxes, K demeth strongly and negatively predicted MeHg concentration, indicating that demethylation was the dominant control in soil with plants. MeHg concentration, K meth , and % MeHg all had significantly less variance in vegetated than in non-vegetated soils due to a consistent elimination of greater values. This pattern suggests that reduced MeHg production capacity was a secondary control on MeHg concentrations in vegetated soils. We observed no difference in the magnitude or variance of K demeth between treatments, suggesting that demethylation was robust to soil chemical conditions influenced by the plant, perhaps because of a wider taxonomic diversity of demethylators. Our results suggest that methylation and demethylation processes could both be leveraged to alter MeHg concentrations in rice paddy soil.

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety↗
USGS2019

In ovo exposure to brominated flame retardants Part II: Assessment of effects of TBBPA-BDBPE and BTBPE on hatching success, morphometric and physiological endpoints in American kestrels

Tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) (TBBPA-BDBPE) and 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTPBE) are both brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that have been detected in birds; however, their potential biological effects are largely unknown. We assessed the effects of embryonic exposure to TBBPA-BDBPE and BTBPE in a model avian predator, the American kestrel ( Falco sparverius ). Fertile eggs from a captive population of kestrels were injected on embryonic day 5 (ED5) with a vehicle control or one of three doses within the range of concentrations that have been detected in biota (nominal concentrations of 0, 10, 50 or 100 ng/g egg; measured concentrations 0, 3.0, 13.7 or 33.5 ng TBBPA-BDBPE/g egg and 0, 5.3, 26.8 or 58.1 ng BTBPE/g egg). Eggs were artificially incubated until hatching (ED28), at which point blood and tissues were collected to measure morphological and physiological endpoints, including organ somatic indices, circulating and glandular thyroid hormone concentrations, thyroid gland histology, hepatic deiodinase activity, and markers of oxidative stress. Neither compound had any effects on embryo survival through 90% of the incubation period or on hatching success, body mass, organ size, or oxidative stress of hatchlings. There was evidence of sex-specific effects in the thyroid system responses to the BTBPE exposures, with type 2 deiodinase (D2) activity decreasing at higher doses in female, but not in male hatchlings, suggesting that females may be more sensitive to BTBPE. However, there were no effects of TBBPA-BDBPE on the thyroid system in kestrels. For the BTPBE study, a subset of high-dose eggs was collected throughout the incubation period to measure changes in BTBPE concentrations. There was no decrease in BTBPE over the incubation period, suggesting that BTBPE is slowly metabolized by kestrel embryos throughout their ∼28-d development. These two compounds, therefore, do not appear to be particularly toxic to embryos of the American kestrel.

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety↗
USGS2019

In ovo exposure to brominated flame retardants Part I: Assessment of effects of TBBPA-BDBPE on survival, morphometric and physiological endpoints in zebra finches

Tetrabromobisphenol A bis(2,3-dibromopropyl) ether (TBBPA-BDBPE) is an additive flame retardant used in polyolefins and polymers. It has been detected in biota, including in avian eggs, yet little is known of its effects. We assessed the pattern of TBBPA-BDBPE concentrations in songbird eggs over the incubation period, and the effects of embryonic exposure to TBBPA-BDBPE in a model songbird species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). To assess concentrations during embryo development, eggs were injected on the day they were laid with the vehicle control (safflower oil) or 100 ng TBBPA-BDBPE/g egg, and whole egg contents were collected throughout embryonic development on day 0 (unincubated), 5, 10 and 13. To evaluate effects of embryonic exposure to TBBPA-BDBPE, eggs were injected at Hamburger-Hamilton stage 18 (~80 hours after initiation of incubation) with safflower oil only, 10, 50 or 100 ng TBBPA-BDBPE/g egg (albumin injection volume 1 µl/g). Eggs were monitored for hatching success, and nestlings were monitored for growth and survival. At 15 days post-hatch, tissues were collected to assess physiological effects. TBBPA-BDBPE was incorporated into the egg as the embryo developed, and concentrations started declining in late incubation, suggesting biotransformation by the embryo. There were no effects on hatching success, nestling survival, growth, organ somatic indices, or thyroid hormone homeostasis; however, there was evidence that body condition declined in a dose-dependent manner towards the end of the rapid nestling growth phase. This decreased body condition could be a delayed effect of early developmental exposure, or it may be the result of increased exposure to biotransformation products of TBBPA-BDBPE produced over the nestling period, which are predicted to be more bioaccumulative and toxic than the parent compound.

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety↗