Effects of three related amides on microecosystem stability
Three related amides (diuron, 2-(octyloxy) acetanilide, and salicylanilide) were evaluated for toxicity to aquatic microcosm communities. Effects were measured at the ecosystem level using changes in pH, Eh (redox potential), and dissolved oxygen as indicators of toxicity. These values were used to calculate the resistance, resilience, and relative instability of the microecosystems to each compound at comparable dose levels of approximately 2500 micrograms/liter. Such measures have often been used in a theoretical context, but have not received wide practical application. The systems showed low resistance and no resilience to diuron, high resistance and low resilience to 2-(octyloxy) acetanilide, and no response to salicylanilide. At a higher exposure level (9800 micrograms/liter salicylanilide), the systems showed low resistance and high resilience. Both this approach and more traditional dose-response measures of toxicity indicated that diuron was clearly the most toxic compound, followed by 2-(octyloxy) acetanilide and salicylanilide. While microcosm toxicity tests were slightly less sensitive than some single species tests, they provided important additional information on the extent of perturbations and the rate of ecosystem recovery.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Minnesota, Duluth
- OSTI ID:
- 6077064
- Journal Information:
- Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.; (United States), Journal Name: Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf.; (United States) Vol. 13:2; ISSN EESAD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AMIDES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
MICROCOSMS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PLANTS
POLLUTION
SOLUBILITY
STABILITY
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION