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TOXICITY OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL TO ENDANGERED AND SURROGATE FISH SPECIES
Citation:
Wang, N., J. M. Besser, D. R. Buckler, F. J. Dwyer, Ingersoll, AND F L. Mayer Jr. TOXICITY OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL TO ENDANGERED AND SURROGATE FISH SPECIES. Presented at SETAC 22 Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, November 11 - 15, 2001.
Impact/Purpose:
Conference abstract
Description:
Water quality criteria (WQC) generally are based on the responses of easily cultured and tested surrogate species. Little is known about the relative sensitivity of surrogate and endangered species. The objective of this study was to compare acute and chronic (early life-stage) toxicity of pentachlorophenol (PCP) to endangered fish species (fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola and spotfin chub, Hybopsis monacha) and surrogate fish species (fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss). The 96-h acute toxicity of PCP to fountain darter (LC50=156 ?g/L) was similar to that for rainbow trout (161 ?g/l), but was about 2 or 3-fold greater than that for spotfin chub (237 ?g/L) or fathead minnow (449 ?g/L). The national acute WQC for PCP (32 ?g/L, pH=8.3) would be protective of all four species. Early life-stage tests were conducted for 60 d with rainbow trout and 30 d with the other three species. The 25% inhibition concentration (IC25) of 21 ?g/L PCP for fountain darter was about 0.2 to 0.3 of the value for rainbow trout (74 ?g/L) and fathead minnow (132 ?g/L). The results are similar to our previous findings with copper, indicating that some endangered species may be more sensitive to chemicals than surrogate species. The national chronic WQC for PCP (25 ?g/L) would appear to be protective of the sensitive fountain darter, although it may not provide a wide margin of safety.