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ACUTE TOXICITIES OF CD2+, CR+6, HG2+, NI2+, AND ZN2+ TO ESTUARINE MACROFAUNA
Citation:
Eisler, R. AND R. Hennekey. ACUTE TOXICITIES OF CD2+, CR+6, HG2+, NI2+, AND ZN2+ TO ESTUARINE MACROFAUNA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-77/151 (NTIS PB295377).
Description:
Static acute toxicity bioassays were conducted at 20 C and 20 o/oo salinity with CdCl2-2 and one half H2O, K2CrO4, HgCl2, NiCl2-6H2O, and ZnCl2 using adults of starfish, Asterias forbesi; sandworm, Nereis virens; hermit crab, Pagurus longicarpus; softshell clam, Mya arenaria; mudsnail, Nassarius obsoletus; and mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, a fish. Concentrations (mg/L metal) fatal to 50% of the organisms in 168 hr ranged from 0.004 (clam) to 0.8 (mummichog) for mercury; 0.7 (clam, worm, crab and starfish) to 40.0 (mummichog) for cadmium; 0.2 (crab) to 52.0 (mummichog) for zinc; 0.7 (sandworm) to 44.0 (mummichog) for hexavalent chromium; and 13.0 (starfish) to 150.0 (mummichog) for nickel. Biocidal action was restricted to a relatively narrow range for all species-metals combinations tested: i.e., mean LC-75/LC-25 ratios for individual metals at 168 hr ranged between 2.82 (Zn) and 6.02 (Cd); for individual species this ratio extended from 2.76 (fish) to 4.46 (clam). It appears that acute toxicity evaluation of potentially hazardous metals in saline environments requires utilization of at least several representative species from divergent taxonomic and ecological niches.