[Keyword='NBII']
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Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened Species Toxicant Classes. Entry ID: usgs_brd_cerc_d_contamsens |
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Summary
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Abstract:
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is charged with determining if the manufacture, use, or disposal of a chemical will present an unreasonable risk of harm to the environment. While management decisions are often based on protecting populations of organisms, the Endangered Species Act requires that, in some cases, managers must estimate the take of individuals to determine if the loss of individuals might adversely affect a population of an endangered species or threatened species. The most direct assessment would be to determine the sensitivity of a listed species to a particular contaminant or perturbation. However, this direct approach would be time consuming and expensive because it might require development of organism culturing and handling procedures, some species may not be amenable to culture. there might be multiple species to be considered, and would be contaminant specific. It is not possible to test all listed species that may need protection from environmental contaminants. Therefore, decisions need to be made for listed species using toxicity data obtained from standard test procedures and using surrogate organisms typically tested in laboratory toxicity assessments (e.g. rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, and the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia). These surrogate species are easily tested using standardized methods; however, there is a concern that these species or procedures may not adequately represent populations of listed species. By evaluating the sensitivity for a number of listed species, it is possible to make generalizations regarding the protection afforded listed species though standard regulatory programs. This research project had two objectives: (1) determine the relative sensitivity to contaminants of listed species using standard acute toxicity tests; and (2) determine the degree of protection afforded listed fish speces through the use of standard species used in whole effluent toxicity tests. Previous cooperative research conducted between EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey primarily evaluated the similarity in response to five chemicals with different modes of action (carbaryl, copper, nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol and permethrin) between surrogate (rainbow trout and fathead minnows) and listed species within the same taxonomic family (Salmonidae, Cyprinidae) using standard acute toxicity tests. The present study expands this data base by testing five additional species with these five chemicals. Species were listed either by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or state agencies or were species identified as surrogates in FWS Recovery Plans. Organisms included: (1) the Family Percidae fountain darter (Etheostoma rubrum, Federally listed), greenthroat darter (Etheostoma lepidum, state listed - Texas); (2) the Family Acipenseridae, shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, identified as surrogate for the Federally listed pallid sturgeon - Scaphirhynchus albus); (3) the Family Poeciliidae, Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis, Federally listed); and (4) the Family Bufonidae, boreal toad tadpoles (Bufo boreas, state listed - Colorado). The data that was generated indicates that in 96 hour acute toxicity tests, if ranbow trout is used as a test species, a species typically used in pesticide registration or water quality criteria derivation, those procedures which protect rainbow trout would likely be protective of most listed aquatic fish species. If a safety factor is needed to estimate 96 hour LC50s for listed species, the data indicates that 0.5 would be a conservative estimator. Also, if EPA water quality criteria are recalculated by eliminating certain species from the data set, such as rainbow trout, then listed fish species might not be adequately protected. The objective of the present study was to expand the acute toxicity database by conducting tests on the same five chemicals with five additional species. The selection of species tested was based on availability of listed organisms. Methodology: Fountain darters, greenthroat darters, shovelnose strugeon, gila topminnow, and boreal toads were held in well water (alkalinity 258 mg/L as CaCO3, hardness 286 mg/L as CaCO3, pH 7.8, 18 C) at the Columbia Environmental Research Center until acclimation began. Before the start of a toxicity test, organisms were acclimated for a total of 96 hours (EPA 1975, ASTM 1998). For the first 48 hours, organisms were acclimated to the test water and temperature. The test organisms were then moved to clean containers and held for an additional 48 hours at the test temperature in 100% test water. Organisms were not fed during the 48 hours of holding in 100% test water. The chemicals used in testing were carbaryl, copper, 4-nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol, and permethrin (Table 2). Chemicals were selected to represent different classes of chemical and modes of toxic action. Organic chemical stock solutions were prepared by dissolving the chemical in reagent grade acetone, whereas stock solutions for copper were prepared by dissolving copper in deionied water. The maximum acetone concentration in any test container was 0.05 mL/L. Organic and inorganic chemical stocks were analyzed to confirm nominal concentrations. Organic chemical analysis was conducted at either Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory (Mississippi State, MS) or ABC Laboratories (Columbia, MO) using gas chromatography. Copper stocks were confirmed at either the CERC or Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Overall, the mean percent nominal concentration was 110% (n=9), with a mean range of 63% (copper) to 160% (permethrin). One 4-nonylphenol stock had a percent nominal concentration of 320%. However, biological results from the tests using these stocks were similar to tests conducted with other 4-nonylphenol stocks. The investigators therefore believe that the reported value for this sample is incorrect and that percent recovery was not included in the average percent of nominal concentration. Static acute toxicity tests were conducted in basic accordance with procedures described in EPA (1975) and ASTM (1998). Exposures were conducted in 19.6 L glass jars containing 15 L of test solution. All tests were conducted at 22 degrees Centigrade. Test water was resconstituted hard water (alkalinity 110 to 120 mg/L as CaCO3, hardness 160 to 180 mg/L as CaCO3 - ASTM 1998). One study with the boreal toad was conducted in CERC well water. Tests were conducted under ambient lighting. The exposure series consisted of six concentrations with a 60% dilution series tested in duplicate (except for the tests with the boreal toad, which were tested in triplicate). When a solvent was used, both a solvent control and a dilution water control were included for each species. Individual test series were randomly assigned to a waterbath and location within a waterbath (complete block design). Fishes and tadpoles were counted into two groups (3 to 5 organisms per group depending on availability) and pooled for each exposure replicate (7 to 10 organisms/replicate). Mortality was the endpoint measured at 6, 12 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure and was defined as lack of movement for a 5 -s observation with the unaided eye. Dead animals were removed at each observational time. Carbaryl concentrations used in the test conducted with the boreal toad tadpoles were not high enough to estimate LC50 concentrations. Subsequent testing with boreal toad tadpoles was being peformed concurrently with this study. In that testing, exposures were conducted in the well water used for culture and the carbaryl testing had a 70% dilution series. All other conditions were similar. Alkalinity, hardness, and pH were measured on each batch of reconstituted water before the start of the exposures. Alkalinity and hardness of reconstituted hard water were within suggested ranges, but average pH (8.4) was slightly above the suggested value of 8.0. The pH was measured on the control, low, medium, and high exposure concentrations at 0 hours and in those same treatments if organisms survived to 48 and 96 hours of exposure. Any drop in dissolved oxygen was isolated and interspersed throughout the exposures. However in toxicity tests with shovelnose sturgeon, jars with acetone added either as a control or as a chemical carrier had low concentrations of dissolved oxygen at 48 hours of exposure. The low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in those jars may have been the cause for the mortalities observed in that test at 72 hours of exposure. For this reason, data generated from toxicity tests with shovelnose sturgeon using solvent carriers should be interpreted with caution. No toxicity data for shovelnose sturgeon toxicity tests using acetone as a carrier solvent beyond 48 hours of exposure. |
Related URL
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Link:
VIEW EXTENDED METADATA
Description: Metadata On CERC's NBII Metadata Node Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION Description: Metadata in National Biological Information Infrastructure format. |
Geographic Coverage
| N: 35.25 | S: 29.94 | E: -87.85 | W: -91.89 |
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Data Set Citation
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Dataset Originator/Creator:
F. James Dwyer, Douglas K. Hardesty, Christopher E. Henke, Christopher G. Ingersoll, David W. Whites, David R. Mount, Christine M. Bridges
Dataset Title: Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened Species Toxicant Classes. Dataset Release Date: 199909 Dataset Release Place: Columbia, Missouri Dataset Publisher: USGS, BRD, Columbia Environmental Research Center Online Resource: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/clearinghouse/data/usgs_brd_cerc_d_cerc001... |
Temporal Coverage
| Start Date: 1995-05-01 |
| Stop Date: 1998-11-01 |
Location Keywords
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CONTINENT
> NORTH AMERICA
> UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
> MISSISSIPPI
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Science Keywords
| HUMAN DIMENSIONS >ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS >CONTAMINANT LEVELS/SPILLS [Definition] |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >AMPHIBIANS >FROGS/TOADS >BOREAL TOAD |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >FISH >RAY-FINNED FISHES >PERCH-LIKE FISHES >GREENTHROAT DARTER |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >FISH >FOUNTAIN DARTER [Definition] |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >FISH [Definition] |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >FISH >RAY-FINNED FISHES >STURGEONS/PADDLEFISHES >SHOVELNOSE STURGEON |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES >FISH >RAY-FINNED FISHES >PUPFISHES >GILA TOPMINNOW |
| BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION >ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES [Definition] |
ISO Topic Category
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BIOTA
ENVIRONMENT OCEANS |
Access Constraints
| None |
Use Constraints
| None |
Keywords
| ACIPENSERIDAE |
| ACIPENSERIFORMES |
| ACTINOPTERYGII |
| AMPHIBIA |
| ANURA |
| AQUATIC TOXICITY |
| BOREAL TOAD |
| BUFO BOREAS |
| BUFONIDAE |
| CONTAMINANT |
| CYPRINODONTIFORMES |
| ETHEOSTOMA |
| ETHEOSTOMA FONTICOLA |
| ETHEOSTOMA LEPIDUM |
| FOUNTAIN DARTER |
| GILA TOPMINNOW |
| GREENTHROAT DARTER |
| NBII |
| PERCIDAE |
| PERCIFORMES |
| POECILIIDAE |
| POECILIOPSIS OCCIDENTALIS |
| SCAPHIRHYNCHUS |
| SCAPHIRHYNCHUS PLATORYNCHUS |
| SHOVELNOSE STURGEON |
| SPECIES SENSITIVITY |
| SURROGATE ORGANISMS |
| TOXICITY DATA |
| TOXICOLOGY |
Data Set Progress
| COMPLETE |
Originating Center
Data Center
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Columbia Environmental Research Center, Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior
[Information]
Data Center URL: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/
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Personnel
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CHRIS
INGERSOLL Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT Phone: (573) 876-1819 Fax: (573) 876-1896 Email: Chris_Ingersoll at usgs.gov Contact Address: U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division Columbia Environmental Research Center 4200 New Haven Road City: Columbia Province or State: MO Postal Code: 65201 Country: USA |
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TYLER
B.
STEVENS Role: DIF AUTHOR Phone: (301) 614-6898 Fax: 301-614-5268 Email: Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov Contact Address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Global Change Master Directory City: Greenbelt Province or State: MD Postal Code: 20771 Country: USA |
Publications/References
F. James Dwyer, Douglas K. Hardesty, Christopher E. Henke,
Christopher G. Ingersoll, David W. Whites, David R. Mount, Christine M. Bridges
199909. Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened
Species: Toxicant Classes. EPA Office of Research and Development
publication. EPA/600/R-99/098 Washington, D.C., United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development.
Christopher G. Ingersoll, David W. Whites, David R. Mount, Christine M. Bridges
199909. Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened
Species: Toxicant Classes. EPA Office of Research and Development
publication. EPA/600/R-99/098 Washington, D.C., United States
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development.
Creation and Review Dates
DIF Creation Date:
2000-04-01
Last DIF Revision Date:
2006-10-11
Future DIF Review Date:
2001-04-01
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