Artifacts in ambient toxicity testing
Short-term toxicity tests with fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larvae and Ceriodaphnia dubia can be used to estimate the acute or chronic toxicity of effluents or receiving water. The results of effluent toxicity tests may need to be interpreted differently from the results of ambient toxicity tests. In this paper we provide examples of common artifacts, which can cause either false positives or false negatives, that we have encountered when these tests are used in ambient assessments. The examples we provide are drawn from diverse effluent and ambient water toxicity tests conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory from March, 1985 through November, 1991. Three types of artifacts which have been encountered when using these tests in ambient applications are explored here. One type involves unusual replicate-specific variance in survival of fathead minnow larvae. The second and third types of artifacts affect the C. dubia test and appear to be related to food availability.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10176876
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9209165--3; ON: DE92040514
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
540320
560300
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS
CHEMICALS METABOLISM AND TOXICOLOGY
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
FATHEAD MINNOW
OAK RIDGE RESERVATION
SURVIVAL CURVES
TOXICITY
WATER CHEMISTRY