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At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources
USGS1992

The use of freshwater and saltwater animals to distinguish between the toxic effects of salinity and contaminants in irrigation drain water

Irrigation drain waters entering Stillwater Wildlife Management Area (SWMA) in south-western Nevada contain elevated levels of salinity and several inorganic contaminants (As, B, Cu, Li, Mo, and Sr). Mortalities of fish and waterfowl at the management area are believed to be associated with the poor water quality of the drains. The objective of the present study was to use fresh-water and saltwater animals to distinguish between the toxic effects of salinity and contaminants in effluent samples collected from irrigation drain waters. Static acute effluent tests were conducted with water collected from four sites at SWMA. Animals acclimated or cultured in fresh water (fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas ; amphipods, Hyalella azteca ; cladocerans, Daphnia magna ) and salt water (striped bass, Morone saxatilis ; amphipods, Hyalella azteca ; and cladocerans, Daphnia magna ) were used to separate toxic effects of salinity from the effects of inorganic contaminants in the drain water. One drain water (TJ drain, salinity 19 parts per thousand (grams per liter), osmolality 503 mmol/kg, hardness 3,780 mg/L as CaCO 3 ) was toxic only to freshwater animals and saltwater cultured daphnids; water from a receiving pond (Pintail Bay, salinity 23 g/L, osmolality 542 mmol/kg, hardness 830 mg/L as CaCO 3 ) was toxic to both freshwater and saltwater animals. Acute tests conducted with reconstituted waters representative of the Pintail Bay sample indicated that atypical ion ratios were toxic to striped bass and amphipods, even without the addition of inorganic contaminants. However, the addition of inorganic contaminants representative of the Pintail Bay sample increased the toxicity of this reconstituted water. These findings indicate that the toxicity of the TJ drain sample was related mainly to elevated salinity and that the toxicity of the Pintail Bay sample was a function of inorganic contamination and atypical ion ratios in combination with elevated salinity.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1992

Toxicity of trace element and salinity mixtures to striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ) and Daphnia magna

Acute toxicity tests with reconstituted water were conducted to investigate the relationship between water hardness, salinity, and a mixture of trace elements found in irrigation drain waters entering Stillwater Wildlife Management Area (SWMA), near Fallon, Nevada. The SWMA has been the site of many fish kills in recent years, and previous toxicity studies indicated that one drain water, Pintail Bay, was acutely toxic to organisms acclimated or cultured in fresh water or salt water. This toxicity could reflect both the ionic composition of this saline water and the presence of trace elements. The lowest water salinity tested with Daphnia magna was near the upper salinity tolerance of these organisms; therefore, we were unable to differentiate between the toxic effects of ion composition and those of trace elements. In toxicity tests conducted with striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ), we found that the extent to which salinity was lethal to striped bass depended on the ion composition of that salinity. Survival of striped bass increased as hardness increased. In addition, a trace element mixture was toxic to striped bass, even though the concentrations of individual elements were below expected acutely lethal concentrations. Although salinity is an important water quality characteristic, the ionic composition of the water must be considered when one assesses the hazard of irrigation drain waters to aquatic organisms.

Nevada↗
USGS1992

Polychlorinated biphenyl residues and egg mortality in double-crested cormorants from the Great Lakes

We evaluated the overall potency of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing extracts from double-crested cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritis ) eggs with an in vitro bioassay system, the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Results from the H4IIE bioassay were strongly correlated with the hatching success of eggs in the colonies, whereas conventional methods of PCB analysis correlated poorly with hatching success of eggs from the same colonies. These observations suggest that even though concentrations of total PCB residues have declined in almost all compartments of the environment, their effects are still being observed. The significance of this observation is that the adverse symptoms presently observed in certain Great Lakes fish-eating waterbird populations do not appear to be caused by some as yet unidentified industrial chemical or chemicals and seem not to be the result of pesticides, but rather to the dioxin-like activity of PCBs. Evidence is presented to suggest that the relative enrichment of the potency of PCBs in the environment may play a role in the persistence of the observed adverse symptoms.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Bioaccumulation of organic and inorganic selenium in a laboratory food chain

Aquatic organisms accumulated selenium (Se) from inorganic and organic Se species via aqueous and food-chain exposure routes. We measured aqueous and food-chain Se bioaccumulation from selenate, selenite, and seleno-L-methionine in a laboratory food chain of algae ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ), daphnids ( Daphnia magna ), and fish (bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus ). Selenium concentrations were monitored radiometrically with 75 Se-labeled compounds. All three organisms concentrated Se more strongly from aqueous selenomethionine than from either inorganic Se species. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) estimated from 1 μg Se/L Se-methionine exposures were approximately 16,000 for algae, 200,000 for daphnids, and 5,000 for bluegills. Algae and daphnids concentrated Se more strongly from selenite (BCFs = 220–3,600) than selenate (BCFs = 65–500) whereas bluegills concenrated Se about equally from both inorganic species (estimated BCFs = 13 to 106). Bioaccumulation of foodborne Se by daphnids and bluegills was similar in food chains dosed with different Se species. Daphnids and bluegills did not accumulate Se concentrations greater than those in their diet, except at very low dietary Se concentrations. Food-chain concentration factors (CFs) for daphnids decreased from near 1.0 to 0.5 with increases in algal Se concentrations, whereas CFs estimated from bluegill exposures averaged 0.5 over a range of foodborne Se concentrations. In exposures based on selenite, bluegills accumulated greater Se concentrations from food than from water. Aqueous and food-chain Se uptakes were approximately additive, and depuration rates were similar in aqueous, food-chain, and combined exposures. Our results suggest that bluegills in Secontaminated habitats accumulate inorganic Se species primarily via food-chain uptake, although organoselenium compounds such as Se-methionine may contribute significantly to Se bioaccumulation by bluegills via both aqueous and food-chain uptake.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

The effects of low pH and elevated aluminum on yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri)

Although acid deposition is not considered a problem in the western United States, surface waters in high elevations and fish inhabiting these waters may be vulnerable to acidification. This study examined the sensitivity of a western salmonid to acid and aluminum stress. Yellowstone cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri ; YSC) were exposed for 7 d during each of four early life stages, or continuously from fertilization to 40 d post-hatch, to decreased pH and elevated Al. We monitored survival, growth, whole-body ion content, and behavior of the exposed fish. Sensitivity of early life stages of YSC may be expressed by survival or by survival and sublethal effects. In our study, eggs were the most sensitive life stage of YSC to low pH if survival alone was considered. However, the sublethal effects on growth, tissue ion content, and behavior revealed the alevins and swim-up larvae were more sensitive to reduced pH and increased Al than eggs or eyed embryos. We also observed that survival was significantly decreased if YSC were exposed to pH 6.0 and 50 μg Al per liter continuously from fertilization to 40 d post-hatch.

Wyoming↗
USGS1993

Selenium accumulation and loss in mallard eggs

Five female mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) that had just started egg laying were first fed a diet containing 15 ppm selenium in the form of selenomethionine for 20 d and then an untreated diet for 20 d. Selenium levels in eggs peaked (to about 13-20 ppm) in about two weeks on the treated diet and leveled off at a low level (< 5 ppm) after about 10 d back on the untreated diet. Selenium levels in egg whites responded faster than levels in yolks to the females' consumption of treated and untreated diets. References

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Effects of acidification on metal accumulation by aquatic plants and invertebrates. 1. Constructed wetlands

Compared were concentrations of Al, Cd, Ca, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, and Zn in water, plants, and aquatic insects of three acidified (pH ∼ 5.0) and three nonacidified (pH ˜ 6.5) constructed wetlands. Concentrations of Zn in water and bur-reed ( Sparganium americanum ) were higher in acidified wetlands than in nonacidified wetlands. Floating nonrooted plants contained mean concentrations of Fe, Mg, and Mn that were higher than recommended maximum levels for poultry feed. The mean concentrations of all metals in insects were below recommended maximum levels for poultry feed and below levels that cause toxic effects in wild birds. Smaller than expected increases of metal concentrations in the water of acidified wetlands were probably due to limited mobilization of metals from the sediments and insignificant changes in sedimentation of aqueous metals. Calcium was lower in acidified than in nonacidified wetland water, but the Ca content of insects and bur-reed was not lower. Low concentrations of Ca in aquatic insects from both groups of wetlands indicate that calcium-rich crustaceans and mollusks are probably important to female waterfowl and their young during the spring, when invertebrates make up the majority of the diet. Although toxic effects from metal ingestion seem to be unlikely consequences of wetland acidification, the adverse effect of low pH on the occurrence of crustaceans and mollusks could threaten egg production and development of young.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Biomarkers of contaminant exposure in common terns and black-crowned night herons in the Great Lakes

Morphological and biochemical indexes of contaminant exposure were examined in hatching common terns ( Sterna hirundo ) and black-crowned night herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) from industrialized and nonindustrialized locations in the Great Lakes. In 1984, naturally incubated, pipping common tern and black-crowned night heron embryos collected from industrialized locations exhibited smaller femur-length-to-body-weight ratios, elevated hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activities, and lower hepatic DNA concentrations ( P < 0.05). In addition, a high incidence of subcutaneous edema was noted in pipping herons ( P < 0.01). In 1985, reduced hatching success was observed for laboratory-incubated common tern eggs collected from the industrialized sites, compared to nonindustrialized sites ( P < 0.01). Day-old hatchlings exhibited reduced femur-length-to-body-weight ratio, developmental anomalies, and elevated hepatic AHH activity ( P < 0.05). For hatching common terns studied in 1984 and 1985, femur-length-to-body-weight ratio was inversely related to AHH activity ( r = −0.67, P < 0.05) and inversely related to log-transformed PCB concentrations ( r = −0.70, P ≤ 0.05) of unincubated eggs from the same colony. The activity of AHH in hatching terns was also directly related ( r = 0.71, P ≤ 0.05) to log-transformed PCB concentrations in unincubated eggs. Other examined contaminants, including DDE, other organochlorine pesticides, and mercury, were not directly related to these effects.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Sensitivity of early-life stage golden trout to low pH and elevated aluminum

Early-life-stage golden trout ( Oncorhynchus aguabonita aguabonita ) were exposed to acid and Al to examine the response and determine the sensitivity of a western, alpine salmonid to conditions simulating an episodic pH depression. Freshly fertilized eggs, alevins, and swim-up larvae were exposed for 7 d to one of 12 combinations of pH and Al, and surviving fish were held to 40 d post-hatch to determine the effect of exposure on subsequent survival and recovery. Golden trout are sensitive to conditions simulating episodic acidification events typically observed in the field. Significant mortality occurred when the pH of test waters was below 5.0 in the absence of Al or when pH was 5.5 in the presence of 100 μg/L total Al. Behavioral impairments were sensitive indicators of low pH and Al stress. Impaired locomotory and feeding behavior occurred at pH 5.5 without Al and at Al concentrations > 50 μg/L. In contrast, growth, RNA-to-DNA ratio, and whole-body ion concentration were relatively less sensitive indicators of sublethal acid and Al stress.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Acute toxicity of the herbicide bromoxynil to Daphnia magna

The acute toxicities of technical-grade bromoxynil octanoate (BO) and two commercial formulations, Buctril® and Bronate®, to < 24-h-old neonate Daphnia magna (Straus) were determined in soft, hard, and oligosaline water. In addition, effects of life stage, feeding, aging the herbicide, and exposure duration on BO toxicity to daphnids were investigated. Regardless of formulation, life stage, and water quality, BO was found to be extremely to highly toxic to daphnids in standard tests; 48-h EC50 values ranged from 41 to 161 m̈g/L. Bromoxynil octanoate was the most toxic to neonates in soft water and the least toxic in hard water. The acute toxicities of the three bromoxynil herbicides to a given age group of daphnids were similar within the same water type. Overall, neonates and 7-d-old adults were more sensitive than 14- or 15-d-old adults to each herbicide. Feeding daphnids during the toxicity test significantly decreased BO toxicity compared to not feeding them. Aging BO (as Buctril) in hard water decreased its toxicity, and the rate of deactivation was rapid, with an estimated half-life of biological activity of 13 h. Daphnids immobilized by exposures to toxic BO concentrations for ≤ 6 h recovered their mobility, whereas exposures of 18 and 24 h to BO produced toxic effects in daphnids similar to those exposed for 48 h. These results indicated that standard continuous exposure tests may not adequately predict the acute toxicity of BO to freshwater animals in the field.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Re-exposure of mallards to selenium after chronic exposure

Adult male mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) were fed a control diet or a diet containing 15 ppm selenium as seleno-D,L-methionine for 21 weeks. After this initial exposure, the mallards were fed untreated food for 12 weeks, then were re-exposed to selenium at 100 ppm for five weeks. During re-exposure to 100 ppm selenium, the birds that had previously been exposed to 15 ppm selenium and those that had not previously been exposed did not differ in percentage of mortality (14.7 and 14.3%), weight loss in survivors (39.3 and 41.2%), selenium concentrations in the livers of survivors (35 and 53 ppm, wet weight), or selenium concentrations in the livers of birds that died (35 and 40 ppm, respectively). When the data from the birds that had previously been exposed to 15 ppm selenium were combined with the data from the birds that had not previously been exposed, selenium concentrations in the livers of birds that had died on the 100-ppm selenium treatment (38 ppm) did not differ from the concentrations in the livers of birds that had survived (43 ppm).

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1993

Biomonitoring environmental contamination with pipping black-crowned night heron embryos: Induction of cytochrome P450

Cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities and cytochrome P450 proteins were measured in pipping black-crowned night heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) embryos collected from a reference site (next to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, VA) and three polluted sites (Cat Island, Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI; Bair Island, San Francisco Bay, CA; West Marin Island, San Francisco Bay, CA). In a laboratory study, artificially incubated night heron embryos from the reference site were treated with 3-methylcholanthrene (200 μg administered into the air cell 2 d before pipping) or phenobarbital (2 mg daily for 2 d before pipping). Compared to controls (untreated + vehicle-treated embryos), 3-methylcholanthrene induced a greater than fivefold increase in activities of several monooxygenases (arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase, AHH; benzyloxyresorufin- O -dealkylase, BROD; ethoxyresorufin- O -dealkylase, EROD; pentoxyresorufin- O -dealkylase, PROD) and a greater than 100-fold increase in the concentration of immunodetected cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A). Phenobarbital treatment resulted in only a slight increase in BROD activity but induced proteins recognized by antibodies to cytochrome P450 2B (CYP2B) by 2,000-fold. In a field study, activities of AHH, BROD, EROD, and ethoxycoumarin- O -dealkylase (ECOD) were up to 85-fold higher in pipping black-crowned night herons collected from Cat Island compared to other sites. Hepatic CYP1A and CYP2B cross-reactive proteins were detected in significantly more individuals from Cat Island than from the reference site. Greatest burdens of total PCBs and p,p ′-DDE were detected in embryos from Cat Island. Cytochrome P450-associated monooxygenase activities and cytochrome P450 proteins (AHH, BROD, EROD, ECOD, CYP1A, CYP2B) were significantly associated with total PCB burdens ( r = 0.50-0.72). These data indicate that cytochrome P450 may be a useful biomarker of exposure to some PCB mixtures in black-crowned night heron embryos.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1994

Effects of water temperature and pH on toxicity of terbufos, trichlorfon, 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol to the amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Acute toxicity tests were conducted to determine (a) the individual and interactive effects of water temperature (7, 12, 17°C), pH (6 5, 7 5, 8 5, 9 5), and time on the toxicity of terbufos, trichlorfon, 4 nitrophenol, and 2,4-dinitrophenol to rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and the amphipod Gammarus pseudohmnaeus , and (b) the individual and interactive effects of water temperature and pH on chemical bioconcentration during acute tests with rainbow trout and Gammarus exposed to terbufos, 4 nitrophenol, and 2,4 dinitrophenol The toxicity of all four chemicals was significantly affected by pH in all tests, except for Gammarus exposed to terbufos The toxicity of terbufos to rainbow trout and Gammarus was less at pH 7 5 than at higher or lower pH The toxicity of both nitrophenols decreased as pH increased, whereas the toxicity of trichlorfon increased with pH The effect of pH on trichlorfon toxicity decreased with temperature Temperature significantly affected the toxicity of all four chemicals to both species Toxicity increased with temperature in all tests, except for rainbow trout exposed to nitrophenols, toxicity decreased as temperature increased for rainbow trout Chemical bioconcentration was also significantly af fected by temperature and pH and was directly related to toxicity in most tests Significant interactive effects between toxicity modifying factors were also frequently observed Temperature and pH effects on chemical toxicity need to be consid ered in chemical hazard assessment to ensure adequate protection of aquatic organisms

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1994

Acute toxicity of 4-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, terbufos and trichlorfon to grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) and sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) as affected by salinity and temperature

The toxicities of two industrial chemicals (4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol) and two organophosphate insecticides (terbufos and trichlorfon) to juvenile grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) and sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon vanegatus) were determined by static, 96-h toxicity tests in a factorial design with 12 combinations of salinity and temperature (15, 20, 25, 30ppt x 17, 22, 27&deg;C). Concentrations of the toxicants, including bioconcentradon, were determined as appropriate by gas or liquid chromatography and the use of 14 C-labeled compounds. The 96-h LC50s for 4-nitrophenol ranged from 12 to 31 mg/L and for 2,4-dinitrophenol from 13 to 50 mg/L. Toxicity decreased as salinity increased for 4-nitrophenol and both test organisms. Toxicity decreased as salinity increased for 2,4-dinitrophenol and sheepshead minnows, but toxicity to grass shrimp increased as salinity increased. Toxicity decreased with increased temperature for grass shrimp exposed to 2,4-dinitrophenol and sheepshead minnows exposed to 4-nitrophenol, increased with temperature for sheepshead minnows exposed to 2,4-dinitrophenol, and no change was observed for grass shrimp exposed to 4-nitrophenol. Bioconcentration of phenols in both test organisms increased as concentration increased. The 96-h LC50s for terbufos ranged from 3.4 to 6.6 &mu;g/L and for trichlorfon from 6.3 to 19,300 &mu;g/L. Terbufos and trichlorfon toxicity to grass shrimp and sheepshead minnows increased with increased temperature. BCFs for terbufos were greater in sheepshead minnows than grass shrimp, but were reversed for trichlorfon.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1994

Effects of water temperature on the toxicity of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol to developing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Early-life-stage (ELS) toxicity tests were conducted to determine the effect of selected water temperatures on the toxicity of 4-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol to rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ). NOECs were determined for growth and mortality at selected time intervals and water temperatures of 7, 12, and 17°C. As tests progressed, NOECs leveled to constant time-independent values that were similar for tests at each temperature. In 4-nitrophenol tests, the time-independent NOEC values at 7, 12, and 17°C, respectively, were 1.16, 1.20, and 1.16 mg/L for growth and 3.40, 3.38, and 2.20 mg/L for mortality. For 2,4-dinitrophenol, time-independent NOEC values at 7, 12, and 17°C, respectively, were 1.07, 0.50, and 0.80 mg/L for growth and 1.30, 1.89, and 1.60 mg/L for mortality. Temperature did, however, affect the rate at which time-independent NOECs were reached. More time was required to reach time-independent NOECs as temperature decreased. For example, the time-independent NOEC in 4-nitrophenol tests at 17°C was reached in 14 d, whereas it required 42 d at 7°C. The effect of temperature on toxicity must be considered in hazard assessment protocols to assess risk accurately and protect aquatic organisms adequately. Chronic toxicity tests are necessary to assess risk because acute toxicity tests cannot provide the information necessary to predict the long-term effects of factors such as temperature in natural environments.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1994

Evaluation of peroxidase as a biochemical indicator of toxic chemical exposure in the aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata, Royle

Laboratory bioassays were conducted to determine the utility of peroxidase (POD) activity as a biochemical indicator of contaminant exposure in the aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata , Royle. The plants were exposed to anthracene, sulfomet-uron methyl (Oust®), Cd 2+ , Cr 6+ , Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Se 4+ in concentration factors of 10. POD was extracted and measured by spectrophotometric assay. There was a significant increase in POD activity after a 5-d exposure to each of the chemicals at 1 mg/L. The optimum pH for POD activity after exposure to the chemicals was 5.5 to 6.0. The increase in POD was found to be dose dependent for each of the chemicals. The lowest concentration of chemical to induce a significant POD increase was 0.01 mg/L for anthracene, Oust, Cd, Cr, and Cu; 0.1 mg/L for Se; and 1.0 mg/L for Mn.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗
USGS1994

Hepatic cadmium, metal-binding proteins and bioaccumulation in bluegills exposed to aqueous cadmium

We examined sublethal responses of juvenile bluegills Lepomis macrochirus to aqueous cadmium in two 28-d tests (test I, 0.0-8.4 μg Cd per liter; test II, 0.0-32.3 μg Cd per liter) in an intermittent-flow diluter. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replicates in each of eight treatments (seven Cd exposures and one water control with 25 fish per replicate). Cadmium did not affect the growth of test fish. The mean whole-body concentrations of Cd in exposed fish were 1.8- to 44-fold those in controls in the two tests. Mean concentrations of hepatic nonthionein cytosolic Cd (not bound by metal-binding proteins, MBP) in all Cd treatments greatly exceeded those in controls, and mean concentrations of hepatic MBP in all treatments except one (0.8 μg Cd per liter in test I) exceeded those in controls. Nonthionein cytosolic Cd, hepatic MBP, and whole-body Cd in bluegills were linearly related to exposure concentrations within the range 0 to 20 μg Cd per liter. Much of the total Cd-binding capacity of hepatic MBP per fish was occupied by Cd after the 28-d exposures, although additional Cd-binding capacity remained unoccupied by Cd in fish in all treatments. The mean total Cd-binding capacity of hepatic MBP per fish, which ranged from 1.7 to 14 nmol Cd in test I and from 0.8 to 24 nmol Cd in test II, increased in a concentration-response manner at exposure concentrations below 13 μg/L. Nonthionein cytosolic Cd was the most sensitive indicator of Cd exposure, based on an LOEC of 0.8 μg Cd per liter.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗