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PREDICTING THE TOXICITY OF BULK SEDIMENTS TO AQUATIC ORGANISMS WITH AQUEOUS TEST FRACTIONS: PORE WATER VERSUS ELUTRIATE
Citation:
Ankley, G., M. Schubauer-Berigan, AND J. Dierkes. PREDICTING THE TOXICITY OF BULK SEDIMENTS TO AQUATIC ORGANISMS WITH AQUEOUS TEST FRACTIONS: PORE WATER VERSUS ELUTRIATE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-92/045 (NTIS PB92150606), 1991.
Description:
The objective of this research was to evaluate the acute toxicity of bulk sediment vs. pore water or elutriate to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), cladocerans (Ceriodaphnia dubia), amphipods (Hyalella azteca), and oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus). otal of 29 different samples from seven sites were used for this analysis. n most instances, pore water was more toxic than corresponding elutriate. ased on the results of these assays, pore water, but not elutriate, was an effective test fraction for predicting the presence of bulk sediment toxicity; however, there were a number of observations of pore water toxicity in the absence of bulk sediment toxicity. ata from this study concerning the sensitivity of Pimephale promelas, Hyalella azteca, and Lumbriculus variegatus to bulk sediment vs. pore water or elutriate suggest that upper-water column species are inappropriate organisms for use in bulk sediment test focused on evaluating in situ toxicity to benthic species. yallela azteca was the most sensitive and Lumbriculus variegatus the least sensitive species evaluated.