Gender-dependent problems in toxicity tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01701758· OSTI ID:6983108

Haynes, G J; Stewart, A J; Harvey, B C ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (USA)

The 7-d, three-brood Ceriodaphnia chronic toxicity test developed by Mount and Norberg is used to assess biological quality of water and wastewaters. The test is becoming widely accepted because it involves simple procedures, uses easily measurable and biologically meaningful endpoints (survival and fecundity), and uses a microcrustacean known to be relatively sensitive to various toxicants. The test uses individual animals as true replicates, and is relatively powerful statistically. Because male and female Ceriodaphnia neonates cannot be readily distinguished from one another, a 7-d C. dubia test started with neonates produced by females from stressed cultures may include an initially indeterminant number of males. The presence of males (which can be ascertained with certainty only when the test is nearly complete) can affect interpretation of toxicity test results. In this paper the results of toxicity tests of water samples from streams near the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are used to show the extent to which the presence of male C. dubia can confound the interpretation of a 7-d Ceriodaphnia test's fecundity endpoint. The authors also show the results of short-term experiments suggesting that male C. dubia are more sensitive than females to cadmium and phenol, and discuss the statistical and practical implications of the problems caused by the presence of males in chronic toxicity tests with this species.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6983108
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA), Vol. 43:2; ISSN 0007-4861
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
TOXICITY
DAPHNIA
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PHENOL
CARCINOGEN SCREENING
MUTAGEN SCREENING
ORNL
SEX DEPENDENCE
WASTE WATER
WATER QUALITY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
ARTHROPODS
BRANCHIOPODS
CRUSTACEANS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
LIQUID WASTES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
SCREENING
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
WATER
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology