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Comprehensive Multiphase NMR provides an overview as to all components (liquids, gels, solids) in a living organism.

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Survival, growth, and reproduction of Hyalella azteca were determined under various test conditions. Reproduction by a cohort begins when the amphipods are 5 to 6 weeks old, peaks at 8 to 12 weeks, and then declines due to continuing adult mortality. Full life-cycle tests can be completed in 12 to 14 weeks at 25 degrees C. Reproduction is poor when only artificial plastic substrate is provided. A substrate of cotton gauze results in dramatic improvements in both reproduction and growth. Better reproduction can be obtained by culturing the amphipods in some sediments, but this makes weekly enumeration difficult. Increased mortality during chronic exposure to cadmium was observed at 1 microgram/L for H. azteca and 3.2 micrograms/L for Gammarus fasciatus. Reproduction during longer exposure was not reduced at concentrations lower than those causing increased mortality within six weeks. Chronic toxicity of pentachlorophenol was observed at 100 micrograms/L for both species. Chronic toxicity to Daphnia magna was similar to that of the amphipods for cadmium, but lower for pentachlorophenol. Amphipods are at least as sensitive as Daphnia to a variety of toxicants during chronic exposure.

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. They are commonly present in complex mixtures with other contaminants, such as metals. The toxicities of phenanthrene (PHE) and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (PHQ) with or without Cu were determined using Daphnia magna. Copper was the most toxic among the three chemicals tested, followed by PHQ and then PHE, with 48-h median effective concentrations (EC50s) of 0.96, 1.72, and 5.33 microM, respectively. Copper at 0.31 microM, or approximately the 5% effective concentration, decreased the EC50 of PHQ from 1.72 to 0.28 microM. Likewise, PHQ at 1.2 microM, or approximately the 10% effective concentration, significantly lowered the EC50 of Cu from 0.96 to 0.30 microM. This synergistic effect was not observed, however, in mixtures of Cu and PHE based on the response addition model. Assimilation of Cu wasfound to be similar with or without PHQ at increasing external concentrations of Cu, indicating that the increased toxicity of their mixtures is physiologically based. The ability of Cu plus PHQ to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured as well. Copper alone caused elevated ROS levels at a low concentration (0.63 microM). With PHQ present, however, this elevation in ROS occurred at an even lower Cu level (0.31 microM). Possible attenuation effects of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) on toxicity and ROS production induced by Cu, PHQ, and their mixtures were then examined. Ascorbic acid protected against Cu and Cu-plus-PHQ mixture-mediated toxicity but did not affect PHQ toxicity. Ascorbic acid also lowered ROS levels in the presence of Cu and Cu plus PHQ. We conclude that there exist potential toxic interactions between metals and modified PAHs and that these interactions can involve ROS formation.

Zinc, lead and mercury accumulation in the amphipod Hyalella azteca increases with increasing exposure to metals. During 10 week chronic toxicity tests, metal accumulated at the highest non-toxic/lowest toxic concentration was 1261136 pg Zn g-', 7.1116 pg Pb g-' and 56/90 pg Hg g-' dry weight. Concentrations of lead and mercury in control animals were substantially lower (1.3 pg Pb g-' and 0.4 pg