Gut content weight and clearance rate for three species of freshwater invertebrates
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Superior, WI (United States). Lake Superior Research Inst.
- Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN (United States). Mid-Continent Ecology Div.
There is concern for potential error in the accurate estimation of chemical bioaccumulation in benthic organisms due to xenobiotics associated with gut contents (sediments). In this study the benthic macroinvertebrates Hexagenia limbata, Chironomus tentans, and Lumbriculus variegatus were exposed to five sediments from the Lower Fox River/Green Bay area of Wisconsin to determine the percentage of their weight due to gut contents and the rate at which guts were emptied when the animals were held in clean water. Upon removal from the test sediments, inorganic gut contents in H. limbata, C. tentans, and L. variegatus represented approximately 9, 10, and 10% of their whole body dry weights, respectively. Depuration rates were relatively rapid, with mayflies, midges, and oligochaetes losing approximately 75, 90, and 100% of their gut contents during the first 12 h of depuration. This suggests that a 12--24-h holding period in clean water at the conclusion of sediment bioaccumulation tests with the three species should be sufficient to eliminate potential bias in tissue residue concentrations due to gut contents.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 201259
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 15, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation of potential confounding factors in sediment toxicity tests with three freshwater benthic invertebrates
Toxicity of ammonia in pore-water and in the water column to freshwater benthic invertebrates