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Title: Comparative solubility and acute toxicity to Daphnia magna of coal liquids, shale oil and petroleum

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6266404

Evaluating toxicity of complex organic mixtures to aquatic biota involves generating and characterizing water-soluble fractions (WSF) of test materials. Depending on the mixture, WSFs may contain several biologically active compound classes including phenolics, aromatic and saturate hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, sulfur heterocycles and others. Although some components (e.g. phenolics) may predominate, each contributes to overall toxicity. We studied the relationships among solubility, chemical composition and acute toxicity of several fossil-derived materials. These included coal liquids with different boiling ranges, coal liquids produced by different technological processes and under different process conditions, coal liquids derived from different source coals, a shale oil and, crude and refined petroleum. Results indicated that concentrations of water-soluble components varied with component solubility and chemical composition of parent material, provided that mixing conditions were similar. Acute toxicity to Daphnia magna reflected solubility of chemical components and, in most cases, could be predicted from concentrations of total carbon in solution. Coal liquids were generally more soluble in water than shale oil and petroleum materials and, thus, posed a greater potential toxic hazard to aquatic biota. Lower boiling range coal liquids were most soluble, and thus, posed the greatest acute hazard in water. Coal type had little influence on acute toxicity of coal liquid WSFs to D. magna. 20 references, 1 figure, 1 table.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
6266404
Report Number(s):
PNL-SA-12427; CONF-8411123-1; ON: DE85003637
Resource Relation:
Conference: 11. annual aquatic toxicity workshop, Vancouver, Canada, 13 Nov 1984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English