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SIMPLE TEST FOR TOXICITY OF NUMBER 2 FUEL OIL AND OIL DISPERSANTS TO EMBRYOS OF GRASS SHRIMP, PALAEMONETES PUGIO
Citation:
Fisher, W. AND S. Foss. SIMPLE TEST FOR TOXICITY OF NUMBER 2 FUEL OIL AND OIL DISPERSANTS TO EMBRYOS OF GRASS SHRIMP, PALAEMONETES PUGIO. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-94/010 (NTIS PB94140704).
Description:
A simple test, using embryos of the grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio, was employed to determine the toxicity of two commercial oil dispersants (Corexit 7664 and Corexit 9527) and toxicity of the water soluble fraction of Number 2 fuel oil (WSF oil) prepared with and without the addition of the dispersants. ests revealed P. pugio embryos were similar to previously measured life stages in their sensitivity to WSF oil prepared without dispersants. hey were approximately ten times more sensitive to water soluble fractions of dispersed oil, which may have been due to the approximately tenfold increases in total hydrocarbons measured analytically. oth temperatures and salinity of the sea water affected toxicity of WSF prepared with dispersants, the most obvious effect being earlier onset of mortalities at higher temperatures. ifferences observed in the onset of mortalities with WSF prepared with and without dispersants implicated egg-casing permeability as a factor in toxicity, The shrimp embryo toxicity tests, described here for the first time, exhibited highly significant results, outstanding reproducibility and virtually 100% response within a narrow time interval.