Effects of sediment-associated phenanthrene and fluoranthene on offspring production, grazing and behavior of an estuarine copepod
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States). Dept. of Zoology and Physiology
Estuarine harpacticoids proved to be excellent toxicity-test organisms due to their ecological importance, small size, short generation time and high fecundity and sensitivity. One acute and three different sublethal sediment-tests were performed using laboratory-cultured Schizopera knabeni, an abundant mud-flat harpacticoid copepod common in US estuaries. All experiments were conducted in the dark and at constant temperature. The sediment TOC was 1.5%. The 96hLC{sub 50} was 524 mg/kg, for phenanthrene and > 2,000 mg/kg for fluoranthene. A strong narcotic effect was observed in the fluoranthene exposures, in which copepods survived exposures of up to 2,100 mg/kg. Effects on offspring production was assessed by exposing either individual mating pairs (male clasping an immature female) or a pool of 20 adult non-ovigerous females and 15 males for 14 days. A significant decrease in the total number of offspring (eggs + juveniles) produced was detected at concentrations as low as 30 mg/kg for both compounds. A stronger reduction was observed on the fraction of the offspring that attained later development stages (copepodite), suggesting that PAHs retard egg hatching and larval development. Effects on grazing activity were detected by feeding starved copepods with {sup 14}C radiolabeled diatoms. A significant decrease in grazing occurred at phenanthrene and fluoranthene concentrations much lower than the 96hLC{sub 50} after a contaminant exposure period of only 48 hours. Behavior experiments performed in an avoidance arena demonstrated that Schizopera displays the ability to detect the presence of PAH in sediment and avoids exposure by selecting and burrowing into uncontaminated over contaminated sediment. This is the first investigation of the effects of PAH single compounds on a meiofaunal organism.
- OSTI ID:
- 218421
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9619%%142
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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