Acute Toxicity Testing with Juvenile White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the possibility of using early life stages of white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) (eggs, larvae and fry) as a species relevant to the Fraser River, B.C., for the acute and sublethal toxico-logical testing of forest industry effluents. Here we report the first successful acute toxicity tests for 8-day-old larvae and 42-day-old fry exposed to several chemicals known to be released into the Fraser River (i.e., 6 monochlorovanillin [6 MVAN], 4,5 dichloroguaiacol [4,5 DCG], 4,5 dichlorocatechol [4,5 DCAT], pentachlorophenol [PCP], and didecyldimethylammonium chloride [DDAC]). In most cases, white sturgeon fry were at the lower end of the range for acute toxicity values for chlorinated phenolic compounds, when compared with other juvenile fish species, and they were extremely sensitive to DDAC. The larval stage was usually more sensitive than the fry stage. Acute toxicity tests with fertilized eggs were unsuccessful. A postexposure growth study was inconclusive because neither control nor toxicant-exposed larvae and fry withstood the additional handling used for measuring body mass. At 62-days-old, fry were more tolerant of handling. This allowed measurement of their swimming performance. Although we have concerns about the reliability of using larvae for acute toxicity testing at this time, 60-day-old white sturgeon fry would appear to be both a sensitive and relevant species for assessing environmental impacts relevant to the Fraser River.

Suitability Modeling of Lake Sturgeon Habitat in Five Northern Lake Michigan Tributaries: Implications for Population Rehabilitation

“…Polychlorinated biphenyl contamination resulted in dramatic declines in invertebrate species richness and the loss of the Burrowing mayfly ( Hexagenia bilineata ) from this system (Schneider et al 1991; Cochran 1992, 1995). The loss of these food items for juvenile Lake sturgeon, as well as the potential direct impacts of pollution on early life history stages (Bennett & Farrell 1998; Doyon et al 1999), may have been and continue to be important factors limiting Lake sturgeon recruitment. Altered discharge regimes, utilized to maintain water levels in upstream impoundments or for hydropower generation, have resulted in the occasional dewatering of Lake sturgeon spawning habitat in the free‐flowing reach during egg deposition and incubation periods which may also negatively affect reproductive success.…”

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of didecyldimethylammonium chloride in early life stages of white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

“…Previous studies have reported contradictory information about the sensitivity of early life stages of white sturgeon to DDAC [4–6]. Results of the current study indicate that age‐dependent sensitivity may explain some of these discrepancies.…”

“… a 8‐d‐old larvae tested in Bennett [4,5] are compared with 3‐ and 11‐d‐old larvae in the current study. …”

“…The acute toxicity of DDAC to aquatic organisms has been reviewed by [3]. The most sensitive invertebrate tested to date is Daphnia magna (48‐h LC50 = 29.5 μg/L DDAC), and the most sensitive fish is white sturgeon; 8‐ and 42‐d‐old white sturgeon (96‐h LC50 = 0.01 μg/L and 2.5 μg/L DDAC, respectively) were significantly more sensitive than any other fish [4,5]. In contrast, Aqua‐Science/TRS [6] found that 78‐d‐old white sturgeons (96‐h LC50 = 416 μg/L DDAC) are not uniquely sensitive to DDAC, compared to results reported by Bennett and Farrell [4].…”

Fate, behavior, and aquatic toxicity of the fungicide DDAC in the Canadian environment

“…Larvae less than 1-week old were even more sensitive; a 24 h LC of 0.00074 mg 50 y1 Ž a.i. L was estimated Bennett, 1996;Bennett and . Farrell, 1998 .…”