Combined toxicity effects of chlorine, ammonia, and temperature on marine plankton. Progress report, February 1, 1975--September 15, 1975

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1975

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7368380· OSTI ID:7368380

Ryther, J. H.; Goldman, J. C.

Research on the combined effects of chlorine, ammonia, and temperature on marine plankton have been carried out for 7/sup 1///sub 2/ months. Continuous-flow bioassay units have been constructed for larval species, juvenile fish, and phytoplankton. A detailed study on lobster (Homarus americanus) larvae and other studies on killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) larvae and juveniles, and juvenile scup (Stenotomus versicolor) and winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) have been performed. Results to date indicate that there is an apparent and, as yet undetermined, chlorine demand of seawater; there is a differential toxic effect of chlorine and chloramines--lobsters were more sensitive to chloramines, whereas the fish species were more affected by free chlorine; respiration results indicate that significant stress occurs at toxicant levels below the onset of mortality, thus raising questions regarding the applicability of standard bioassay data; temperature elevation exerts a strong synergistic effect on chlorine-chloramine toxicity; and effects of exposure to halogen toxicity appear irreversible as revealed by persistent reductions in metabolic activity. It appears that chlorine toxicity to marine biota can occur even though chlorine residuals cannot be detected by current analytical techniques. These results support the findings of others that chlorine toxicity is a serious environmental pollutant. (auth)

• Research Organization: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Mass. (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-2532
• OSTI ID: 7368380
• Report Number(s): COO-2532-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMMONIA
TOXICITY
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
POLLUTION
CHLORAMINES
CHLORINE
FISHES
LARVAE
LOBSTERS
PLANKTON
SEAS
BIOASSAY
SEAWATER
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
AMINES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
CRUSTACEANS
ELEMENTS
HALOGENS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)