Comparison of an Ampelisca abdita growth rate test with other standard amphipod sediment toxicity tests

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:458308

Schafer, K; Weston, D P ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Amphipod crustaceans are often used to measure the toxicity of bulk sediments. Acute lethal bioassays are commonly employed, but this study investigated the potential for using a chronic growth bioassay with Ampelisca abdita. A potential advantage of this method is that the growth rate could be a more sensitive measure of contamination than mortality. Growth rates for A. abdita in sediments spiked with cadmium and crude oil were compared to mortality rates in A. abdita, Eohaustorius estuaries, and Rhepoxynius abronius in sediments with the same concentrations of contaminants. A. abdita was more sensitive to cadmium than the other two species. For crude oil, there was a significant shift in size distribution from the control even at concentrations as low as 150 mg/kg of oil. The standard acute lethal tests for all species, on the other hand, did not show significant mortality until at least 1,600 mg/kg. The results confirm that growth rates are a more sensitive indicator of toxicity, and to at least the three contaminants tested, A. abdita is as sensitive as E. estuarius and R. abronius. This study also confirmed the reported high mortality rates of E. estuaries in San Francisco Bay sediments. The causes of this high mortality are unknown but give further reason for using A. abdita for toxicity tests in this region.

• OSTI ID: 458308
• Report Number(s): CONF-961149--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CADMIUM
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GENETIC VARIABILITY
PETROLEUM
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
WATER POLLUTION