Comparison of the effects of surfactants on freshwater phytoplankton communities in experimental enclosures and on algal population growth in the laboratory

Abstract

Field validation of laboratory toxicity data for phytoplankton is uncommon but it is important, since results from standard single‐species laboratory tests are often used in assessing the environmental safety of a chemical. This study reports the short‐term in situ effects of three surfactants on the community structure of enclosed natural assemblages of phytoplankton. Standard diversity and similarity indices, mean species number and density and changes in dissolved oxygen concentration were determined for phytoplankton enclosed in 26‐liter bottles after 10 d of exposure in Acton Lake, Ohio. The first observed effect concentrations based on commonly calculated indices of community structure occurred at 108, 8.4 and 2.9 mg/1, respectively, for the anionic, nonionic and cationic surfactants. In contrast, lower effect levels (<1.0 mg/1) based on changes in density of some major taxa were observed. Since standard algal toxicity tests assume a degree of environmental relevancy, the community effect levels were compared with effect concentrations developed in standard laboratory algal toxicity tests monitoring changes in population growth of single test species. The community effect levels could be predicted in some cases; however, the degree of similarity between the laboratory and field results was very dependent on the surfactant, the laboratory test species and the effect parameter.

The Environmental Chemistry, Fate and Effects of Nonionic Surfactants

“…Table 8 contains data on the toxicity of AE's and APE's to algae. Lewis [214] compared laboratory and field data on the exposure of natural assemblages of phytoplankton to an OPE and found, by measuring parameters such as population density and diversity index, that observed effect concentrations in the field were thirty two times higher than in the laboratory. Yamane [215] studied the growth inhibition of freshwater planktonic algae (a green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, a blue-green alga, NitszchiaJonticola and a diatom, Microcystis aeruginosa) and found that APE's were less toxic than AE's.…”

Integration of Aquatic Fate and Ecological Responses to Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (LAS) in Model Stream Ecosystems

“…This is indeed even more surprising since the e!ects in the plankton study were over a period shorter than one-tenth that used in the ESF (4.5 days vs 56 days). Lewis (1986) provides the opposite extreme, with a NOEC that appears unrealistically high at 22.203 mg/L. These anomalies are easier to explain and are probably a result of the more eutrophic community seeded by Lewis (1986) in the 29-L bottle enclosures.…”

“…Lewis (1986) provides the opposite extreme, with a NOEC that appears unrealistically high at 22.203 mg/L. These anomalies are easier to explain and are probably a result of the more eutrophic community seeded by Lewis (1986) in the 29-L bottle enclosures. The single dose likely disappeared at a fast rate and exposure was not carried through to the end of the study.…”

The application of bioassays in the resolution of environmental problems; past, present and future

“…Harris, 1980;Giddings & Franco, 1985;Portier, 1985) Gregory, 1984;Muirhead-Thomson, 1987). Solomon et al, 1980;Dejoux, 1982;Lewis, 1986;Munawar & Munawar, 1987) and, finally, the manipulation of natural systems themselves (e.g. Arthur et al, 1983;Kownacki et al, 1985;Yasuno et al, 1985;Zischke & Arthur, 1987) and ponds (e.g.…”

“…Cairns, 1986). Lewis, 1986) and sometimes the reverse (e.g. Several comparative studies have been performed to assess the predictive ability of single-versus multispecies studies, and these are summarised in Table 1.…”