skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Combined toxicity effects of chlorine, ammonia, and temperature on marine plankton. Progress report, November 1976--31 January 1978

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7286885· OSTI ID:7286885

Studies on the effects of chlorine, chloramines, and temperature on marine plankton have been carried out for three years. Species studied include marine phytoplankton, lobster larvae (Homarus americanus), oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica), copepods (Acartia tonsa), rotifers (Brachionas plicatilis), grass shrimp (Palamonetes pugio) summer flounder larvae (Paralichthys dentatus), larval and juvenile killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), juvenile scup (Stenotomus versicolor), and juvenile winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus). In addition extensive studies on chlorine chemistry in seawater have been carried out. The major conclusions are that entrainment effects on permanent plankton such as phytoplankton, copepods, and rotifers are temporary, that is those organisms surviving chlorination and temperature shocks are capable of renewed and unrestricted growth once returned to the receiving water. Because chlorine is only applied for short periods daily in most power plants, the total population of the above organisms actually exposed to chlorine is small and the effects may be hardly measurable in receiving waters. However, chlorination effects on larval species that spawn intermittently could be catastrophic. In addition, there are many unanswered questions regarding the fate of chlorine that is dissipated in marine waters. Are the losses real and, if so, do they pose a toxicity threat to marine biota.

Research Organization:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Mass. (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-S-02-2532
OSTI ID:
7286885
Report Number(s):
COO-2532-3
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English