You are here:
A CONTINUOUS FLOW BIOASSAY SYSTEM FOR THE EXPOSURE OF MARINE ORGANISMS TO OIL
Citation:
Hyland, J., P. Rogerson, AND George R. Gardner. A CONTINUOUS FLOW BIOASSAY SYSTEM FOR THE EXPOSURE OF MARINE ORGANISMS TO OIL. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-77/163 (NTIS PB299298).
Description:
A continuous flow-through bioassay system is described for exposing marine test organisms and their various life stages to oil. The apparatus consists of two principal stages--one for administering the water-accommodated fractions of oil (WAF) and the second for administering 'whole' oil fractions (WF), including the soluble as well as nonsoluble fractions. The oil-contaminated effluent from the system first passes through a chamber to skim off separated oil and finally through a filter which lowers the oil concentration to below one part per million (1 ppm). Short-term lethal and chronic sublethal bioassays of several months duration were conducted in the system and are summarized briefly herein. Biological effects observed during bioassays have ranged from lethal toxicity at oil concentrations of approximately 10 parts per million (ppm) to sublethal behavioral modifications at approximately 10 parts per billion (ppb).