A short-exposure, sublethal, sediment toxicity test using the marine bivalve Mulinia lateralis: Statistical design and comparative sensitivity
- Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
Over the last 10 years a great deal of research effort has concentrated on determining the effects of contaminated sediments on aquatic organisms. For marine systems, this effort has emphasized acute sediment toxicity tests using amphipods, although a variety of other end points and species have been used. Another candidate species for marine, solid-phase, sublethal sediment toxicity testing is the bivalve Mulinia lateralis. Useful attributes of this euryhaline bivalve include a wide geographic distribution, easy lab culture, and amenability to toxicity testing applications. Detailed in this paper are organism selection and culture, establishment of statistical design, and an estimate of organism mortality and sublethal response variability. Results of Mulinia lateralis toxicity tests with 65 contaminated sediments from eight sites are reported, as well as results of comparative toxicity tests using two amphipod species. Ampelisca abdita and Eohaustorius estuaries. Analysis of statistical power indicates treatment weight and survival response that are 25% different from the site control responses can be detected with a probability of 95%. Results of comparative toxicity tests illustrate that although Mulinia lateralis and amphipod acute end points are relatively similar in sensitivity, utilization of the Mulinia lateralis sublethal growth end point greatly increases test sensitivity. This paper describes a new marine sediment toxicity test that complements the existing suite of marine sediment toxicity assessment techniques.
- OSTI ID:
- 7309477
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:4; ISSN 0730-7268
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CRUSTACEANS
SENSITIVITY
MOLLUSCS
POLLUTANTS
TOXICITY
SEDIMENTS
CONTAMINATION
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
GENETIC VARIABILITY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
INVERTEBRATES
POLLUTION
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology