Calibration of laboratory bioassays with results from microcosms and ponds
Effects of an organic contaminant (as synthetic coal-derived crude oil) were measured in outdoor ponds and indoor pond-derived microcosms and compared with results of laboratory bioassays. Ponds and microcosms were treated with the oil continuously for eight weeks. Concentrations of phenolic compounds spanned the range of acute and chronic toxicity concentrations determined in single-species bioassays. Effects were similar in microcosms and ponds, implying that microcosms are suitable models for field studies for some purposes. Significant changes in community metabolism and zooplankton populations occurred in microcosms and ponds exposed to less than 0.05 mg/L phenols, near the 28-day lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) for Daphnia magna. Ponds and microcosms were seriously damaged at concentrations near acute bioassay mean lethal concentration (LC/sub 50/) values. Indirect effects in the ecosystems occurred at all treatment levels, and included changes in water quality, replacement of sensitive taxa by more tolerant competitors, and changes in abundance of some species because of increases or decreases in their predators or grazers. The safe exposure level determined from the ecosystem experiments was accurately predicted by an application factor of 0.03 in conjunction with the most sensitive acute bioassay result (the D. magna 48-h LC/sub 50/). Less conservative extrapolation methods overestimated the safe concentration of this material in these ecosystems. 32 references, 3 figures, 5 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5998313
- Journal Information:
- Am. Soc. Test. Mater., Spec. Tech. Publ.; (United States), Vol. 865
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CONTAMINATION
BIOASSAY
CALIBRATION
COAL LIQUIDS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
PHENOLS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TOXICITY
PONDS
DAPHNIA
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATION
MICROCOSMS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
ARTHROPODS
BRANCHIOPODS
CRUSTACEANS
DATA
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLUIDS
FUELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
LIQUIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
SURFACE WATERS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560304 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Invertebrates- (-1987)