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AN AUTOMATED MONITORING SYSTEM FOR FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
Citation:
Carlson, R., G. Lien, AND B. Holmen. AN AUTOMATED MONITORING SYSTEM FOR FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-89/011 (NTIS PB89155212), 1989.
Description:
This report describes a data acquisition and control (DAC) system that was constructed to manage selected physiological measurements and sample control for aquatic physiology and toxicology. Automated DAC was accomplished with a microcomputer running menu-driven software developed with an extended BASIC. An interface module was built that connected standard sensors and controls to the computer. Digital I/O signals for sample device control and analog signals from sensors were multiplexed through the interface module. Time intervals for automated DAC were user defined, and test data were displayed on a monitor, printed, stored on disk, and transferred to a minicomputer for analysis. Automated measurements were nade of temperature, ventilation volume, oxygen content of exposure (inspired) and expired water, and pH of both waters from four in vivo rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) preparations. Oxygen uptake efficiency and oxygen consumption were calculated. Urine and expired water samples were also collected from all fish. Non-automated sampling included ventilation frequency, cough frequency, the electrocardiogram, and aortic blood from an implanted canula. Sampled blood was analyzed for oxygen, carbon dioxide, pH, hematocrit, and hemoglobin. The respiratory-cardiovascular data gathered with this system were used to define fish acute toxicity syndromes (FATS) specific to known modes of toxic action.