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Acute toxicity, histopathology, and bioconcentration-retention studies with No. 2 fuel oil and the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5091206

Adult male blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) were exposed in a flow-through system to five concentrations, nominally 0.0 (control), 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, or 20.0 ppm of the water accommodated fraction (WAF) of No. 2 fuel oil. The 96-hour LC/sub 5//sup 0/ was 14.1 ppm. All crabs in the 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 ppm tanks exhibited abnormal behavior prior to death including periodic beating of the maxillipedal flagella, hyperactivity, ataxia, and equilibrium loss. The ability of adult male and female blue crabs to bioconcentrate and retain No. 2 fuel oil compounds was examined after crabs were exposed for two weeks or 30-35 days in flow-through systems to three sublethal No. 2 fuel oil WAF concentrations, nominally 0.00 (control), 0.01, or 1.0 ppm. Gill, hepatopancreas, and muscle tissues were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Trace amounts of fuel oil hydrocarbons were detected in gill and hepatopancreas at 0.01 ppm exposures. All tissues bioconcentrated fuel oil compounds during 1.0 ppm WAF exposure periods, and with the exception of the gills, little depuration or metabolism of the bioconcentrated compounds occurred during a period of 30 days in clean, running seawater.

Research Organization:
Rhode Island Univ., Kingston (USA)
OSTI ID:
5091206
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English