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STATUS AND APPLICATIONS OF ECHINOID (PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA) TOXICITY TEST METHODS
Citation:
Bay, S., R. Burgess, AND D. Nacci. STATUS AND APPLICATIONS OF ECHINOID (PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA) TOXICITY TEST METHODS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-93/135.
Description:
The use of echinoderms for toxicity testing has focused primarily on sea urchins and sand dollars (Strongylocentrolus purpuratus, Arbacia punctulata, Lytechinus pictus, and Dendraster excentricus, for example). he status and relative sensitivity of various test methods are described. he most frequently used test methods consist of short-term exposures of sea urchin sperm or embryos; these tests can be easily conducted at all times of the year by using species with complementary spawning cycles or laboratory conditioned populations of a single species. ata from reference toxicant and effluent toxicity tests are summarized. nformation on the precision and sensitivity of echinoid test methods are limited and preclude rigorous comparisons with other test methods. he available data indicate that the sensitivity and precision of these methods are comparable to short-term chronic methods for other marine invertebrates and fish. ecent application of the sperm test in toxicity identification evaluations (TIES) and studies of effluent toxicity decay and sediment toxicity illustrate the versatility of this rapid (10 to 60 min exposure) test method. mbryo tests typically use a 48 to % h exposure period and measure the occurrence of embryo malformations. ost recent applications of the embryo test have been for the assessment of sediment elutriate toxicity. dult echinoderms are not frequently used to assess effluent or receiving water toxicity. ecent studies have had success in using the adult life stage of urchins ind sand dollars to assess the effects of contaminated sediment on growth, behavior, and bioaccumulation.