Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenoI) and picramic acid (2-amino-4,6-dinitrophenol) are potential water pollutents due to a variety of industrial and munition uses. The possible impacts of picric and picramic acid to two recreationally and commercially important species, rainbow trout, Salrno gairdneri, and American oysters, Crassostrea virginica, were evaluated. Picramic acid was more toxic than picric acid to both species tested. The 96-h LC5Os for picric and picramic acids for rainbow trout were 109.6 and 46.2 mg/l, respectively. The 144-h LC5Os for picric and picramic acid for American oysters were 254.9 and 69.8 mg/l, respectively. Sublethal no growth ECSOs and shell deposition ECSOs for oysters showed that both compounds caused adverse effects at much lower concentrations than indicated by the LCSOs. For example, the 144-h shell deposition EC5Os were 27.9 mg/l for picric acid and 5.6 mg/l for picramic acid. Sediment adsorbtion studies in estuarine water indicated that both compounds are not readily adsorbed which suggests that sediment would not play a major role as a sink in contaminated systems. Oysters, which filter large quantities of particulate matter, would more likely be affected by picric and picramic acids in the water column than by exposure to contaminated sediment.(KEY TERMS: acute toxicity; rainbow trout, Salrno gairdneri; American oyster, Crassostrea virginica; picric acid, 2,4-6-trinitrophenol; picramic acid, 2-amino4,6-dinitrophenol; nitrophenols.)

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