Biological Methods for Determining Toxicity of Contaminated Freshwater Sediments to Invertebrates

Nebeker, Alan V.; Cairns, Michael A.; Gakstatter, Jack H.; Malueg, K. W.; Schuytema, G. S.; Krawczyk, Daniel F.

doi:10.1897/1552-8618(1984)3[617:bmfdto]2.0.co;2

Cited by 54 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…tentans distribution in a heavy metal contaminated lake showed smaller population sizes in the most heavily contaminated sediments (Wentsel et al ., 1977a) . Many laboratory studies of C. tentans survival and growth in sediments contaminated with heavy metals and/or organic compounds have demonstrated decreased survival and/or reduced growth of larvae (e .g ., Wentsel et al ., 1977b ;Cairns et al ., 1984 ;Adams et al ., 1985Adams et al ., , 1986Giesy et al ., 1988Giesy et al ., , 1990Nebeker et al ., 1984aNebeker et al ., , 1988Hoke et al ., 1990 ;West et al ., 1993) . Lower numbers of emerging adults have also been observed following exposure of larvae to sediments contaminated with heavy metals (Wentsel et al ., 1978) and to artificial substrates contaminated with DDE (Derr & Zabik, 1972) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Chironomus tentans larval growth retardation on adult emergence and ovipositing success: implications for interpreting freshwater sediment bioassays

et al. 1996

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A laboratory study was conducted with Chironomus tentans to assess the significance of growth retardation of thirdto fourth-instar larvae over a 10-d test period on long-term survival, adult emergence, and ovipositing success . Data were intended to provide interpretive guidance for the commonly used growth endpoint in 10-d sediment bioassays with C. tentans . Larval growth was controlled by using six feeding levels ranging from 0 .2 to 5 .9 mg dry weight Tetrafin ® fish food per day . Mean 10-d survival was >88% at all feeding levels, but larval growth decreased significantly (p<0 .05) with each decrease in feeding level . Cumulative successful emergence of adult C. tentans decreased significantly with decreasing larval growth . Mean times to emergence always increased with decreasing growth rates and effects were generally more pronounced for females than males . At the lowest 10-d mean growth where successful emergence occurred (0 .27 mg), the times to emergence doubled relative to the times observed at the highest 10-d mean growth (1 .03 mg) . Ten-day larval growth retardation was strongly correlated with reduction in adult emergence success (r2 = 0.96) . Growth retardations >64% resulted in 86-100% reductions in adult emergence . Growth retardation in the range of 35 to 50% equated with comparable percent reductions in adult emergence success . Although fewer females successfully emerged at 10-d growths of 0 .37 and 0 .74 mg relative to the highest 10-d growth (1 .03 mg), ovipositing success of these females did not appear to be adversely affected by either their slower growth rates or their lower mean dry weights (0 .62 and 0 .99 mg, respectively) . Growth of second generation larvae did not appear to be affected by maternal growth rate, but rather appeared to be solely correlated with their own feeding level .

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Chironomus tentans larval growth retardation on adult emergence and ovipositing success: implications for interpreting freshwater sediment bioassays

et al. 1996

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“…For example, the test species ideally should be closely associated with sediments, have widespread distribution and be easily cultured and handled in the laboratory. Nebeker et al (1984) suggested that the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the chironomid Chironomus tentans were good candidates for freshwater sediment toxicity tests, and Nelson et al (1991) recently published an informative review detailing the use of H. azteca and C. tentans in solid phase sediment toxicity tests. Other researchers also have suggested that different oligochaete species may be useful for acute and/or chronic testing of freshwater sediments (Chapman et al, 1982a(Chapman et al, , 1982bWiederholm et al 1987;Keiltyet al 1988aKeiltyet al , 1988bReynoldson et al 1991;Smith et al, 1991;Phipps et al, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the relative sensitivity of three benthic invertebrates to copper-contaminated sediments from the Keweenaw Waterway

et al. 1993

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The Keweenaw Peninsula in northern Michigan was once a major copper mining area and these mining activities were responsible for depositing tons of tailings in and around the Keweenaw Waterway. In recent years there has been concern about possible toxic effects of the contaminated sediments on aquatic communities in the system. In the fall of 1990, sediments were collected from various locations along the Waterway. Ten-day tests were conducted with the samples using three species of benthic invertebrates that have been proposed as suitable for evaluating the toxicity of freshwater sediments: Hyalella azteca (amphipods), Chironomus tentans (chironomids) and Lumbriculus variegatus (oligochaetes). A number of sediments were toxic to one or more of the three species and, in general, there was good agreement among the tests with regard to identifying toxic samples. Unexpectedly, the relative sensitivity of the three species to the test sediments was not accurately predicted from water-only copper exposures. This indicates that factors modifying exposure, such as different lifestyles and/or varying sensitivity to physico-chemical characteristics of sediments can influence results of sediment toxicity tests.

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“…It is recognized that ecotoxicological testing needs to be based on standard test organisms and to be supplemented by the use of some ambient bioassay. Furthermore a battery of tests should be used in order to ensure that the 'no effect level' in one test will also be discriminated at several trophic levels (Nebecker et al, 1984;Cairns & Pratt, 1989;Dutka et al, 1989;Sloterdijk et al, 1989;Giesy & Hoke, 1989). In this paper we concentrate on the ecotoxicity associated with suspended sediments of the Rhone River as determined by three acute bioassay procedures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative ecotoxicity of suspended sediment in the lower Rhone River using algal fractionation, Microtox® and Daphnia magna bioassays

et al. 1993

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The toxicity associated with suspended sediments from the Rhone River (Switzerland-France) was determined with three acute bioassays. Large volume water samples were centrifuged for recovery of suspended solids in November 1989; one sample was taken as a control upstream from Lake Geneva and the 9 remainder downstream from Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea, with a single sample of the major tributary the Saone at Lyon. Heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) and organic contaminants (OCs, PCBs, PAHs) bound to sediment were analysed and extracted by elutriation with filtered lake water and by organic solvent ( dichloromethane ). Sediment water elutriates were tested with algal fractionation bioassays (AFB) using Lake Geneva ambient phytoplankton, with Daphnia magna and Microtox® acute toxicity tests, whereas organic extracts were utilized in the latter two bioassays to evaluate the potential sediment toxicity. The bulk analyses of the sediment together with elutriate metal concentrations indicated the highest contamination of sediment downstream of Lyon. Medium contamination appeared for the stations downstream of Geneva, in the Saone River and at the Rhone River mouth. The station upstream of Lyon had low concentrations, comparable to the values in the Upper Rhone. Organic contaminants are mainly observed downstream of Lyon and their concentrations decline onwards to the sea. The bioassays Microtox ® on organic extracts and AFB on the elutriates show a similar toxicity trend, but differ in that Microtox was more sensitive to organics whereas the algal test responded predominantly to metals. This difference is believed to be due to the different extraction procedures used, rather than to the tests themselves. Daphnia magna was the least sensitive and appeared to give a broader band response to the observed contaminants in the sediment. The bioassay results when integrated confirm that the biotoxicity trends relate well to the composition of the sediment, a factor which emphasizes the need for battery testing in ecotoxicological assessment

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Biological Methods for Determining Toxicity of Contaminated Freshwater Sediments to Invertebrates

Cited by 54 publications

References 9 publications

Effects of Chironomus tentans larval growth retardation on adult emergence and ovipositing success: implications for interpreting freshwater sediment bioassays

Effects of Chironomus tentans larval growth retardation on adult emergence and ovipositing success: implications for interpreting freshwater sediment bioassays

Comparison of the relative sensitivity of three benthic invertebrates to copper-contaminated sediments from the Keweenaw Waterway

Comparative ecotoxicity of suspended sediment in the lower Rhone River using algal fractionation, Microtox® and Daphnia magna bioassays

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