Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened Species Toxicant Classes.

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
F.James Dwyer, Douglas K. Hardesty, Christopher E. Henke, Christopher G. Ingersoll, David W. Whites, David R. Mount, Christine M. Bridges
Publication_Date: 199909
Title:
Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened Species Toxicant Classes.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Columbia, Missouri
Publisher:
U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Columbia Environmental Research Center
Description:
Abstract:
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is charged with determining if the manufacture, use, or disposal of a chemical will present an unreasonable risk of harm to the environment. While management decisions are often based on protecting populations of organisms, the Endangered Species Act requires that, in some cases, managers must estimate the take of individuals to determine if the loss of individuals might adversely affect a population of an endangered species or threatened species. The most direct assessment would be to determine the sensitivity of a listed species to a particular contaminant or perturbation. However, this direct approach would be time consuming and expensive because it might require development of organism culturing and handling procedures, some species may not be amenable to culture. there might be multiple species to be considered, and would be contaminant specific. It is not possible to test all listed species that may need protection from environmental contaminants. Therefore, decisions need to be made for listed species using toxicity data obtained from standard test procedures and using surrogate organisms typically tested in laboratory toxicity assessments (e.g. rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas, and the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia). These surrogate species are easily tested using standardized methods; however, there is a concern that these species or procedures may not adequately represent populations of listed species. By evaluating the sensitivity for a number of listed species, it is possible to make generalizations regarding the protection afforded listed species though standard regulatory programs. This research project had two objectives: (1) determine the relative sensitivity to contaminants of listed species using standard acute toxicity tests; and (2) determine the degree of protection afforded listed fish speces through the use of standard species used in whole effluent toxicity tests. Previous cooperative research conducted between EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey primarily evaluated the similarity in response to five chemicals with different modes of action (carbaryl, copper, 4-nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol and permethrin) between surrogate (rainbow trout and fathead minnows) and listed species within the same taxonomic family (Salmonidae, Cyprinidae) using standard acute toxicity tests. The present study expands this data base by testing five additional species with these five chemicals. Species were listed either by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or state agencies or were species identified as surrogates in FWS Recovery Plans. Organisms included: (1) the Family Percidae fountain darter (Etheostoma rubrum, Federally listed), greenthroat darter (Etheostoma lepidum, state listed - Texas); (2) the Family Acipenseridae, shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, identified as surrogate for the Federally listed pallid sturgeon - Scaphirhynchus albus); (3) the Family Poeciliidae, Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis, Federally listed); and (4) the Family Bufonidae, boreal toad tadpoles (Bufo boreas, state listed - Colorado). The data that was generated indicates that in 96 hour acute toxicity tests, if ranbow trout is used as a test species, a species typically used in pesticide registration or water quality criteria derivation, those procedures which protect rainbow trout would likely be protective of most listed aquatic fish species. If a safety factor is needed to estimate 96 hour LC50s for listed species, the data indicates that 0.5 would be a conservative estimator. Also, if EPA water quality criteria are recalculated by eliminating certain species from the data set, such as rainbow trout, then listed fish species might not be adequately protected.
Purpose:
The objective of the present study was to expand the acute toxicity database by conducting tests on the same five chemicals with five additional species. The selection of species tested was based on availability of listed organisms.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 199505
Ending_Date: 199811
Currentness_Reference: observed
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: aquatic toxicity
Theme_Keyword: toxicity data
Theme_Keyword: surrogate organisms
Theme_Keyword: species sensitivity
Theme_Keyword: contaminant
Theme_Keyword: toxicology
Taxonomy:
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
Kingdom: Animal
Division-Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species: Etheostoma fonticola
Applicable_Common_Names: fountain darter
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
Kingdom: Animal
Division-Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species: Etheostoma lepidum
Applicable_Common_Names: greenthroat darter
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
Kingdom: Animal
Division-Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acipenseriformes
Family: Acipenseridae
Genus: Scaphirhynchus
Species: Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
Applicable_Common_Names: shovelnose Sturgeon
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
Kingdom: Animal
Division-Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Poeciliopsis
Species: Poeciliopsis occidentalis
Applicable_Common_Names: Gila topminnow
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
Kingdom: Animal
Division-Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Bufo
Species: Bufo boreas
Applicable_Common_Names: boreal toad
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints: None
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Christopher Ingersoll
Contact_Organization:
U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources
Division, Columbia Environmental Research Center
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Road
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: Missouri
Postal_Code: 65201
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (573) 876-1819
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (573) 876-1896
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Chris_Ingersoll@usgs.gov
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
F. James Dwyer, Douglas K. Hardesty, Christopher E. Henke, Christopher G. Ingersoll, David W. Whites, David R. Mount, Christine M. Bridges
Publication_Date: 199909
Title:
Assessing Contaminant Sensitivity of Endangered and Threatened Species: Toxicant Classes
Series_Information:
Series_Name: EPA Office of Research and Development publication
Issue_Identification: EPA/600/R-99/098
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, D.C.
Publisher:
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development
Data_Quality_Information:
Logical_Consistency_Report: not applicable
Completeness_Report:
There were five laboratory test organisms - fountain darters, greenthroat darters, shovelnose sturgeon, gila topminnow, and boreal toads.
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Identifier:
Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Methodology_Keyword: test organisms
Methodology_Description:
Fountain darters, greenthroat darters, shovelnose strugeon, gila topminnow, and boreal toads were held in well water (alkalinity 258 mg/L as CaCO3, hardness 286 mg/L as CaCO3, pH 7.8, 18 C) at the Columbia Environmental Research Center until acclimation began. Before the start of a toxicity test, organisms were acclimated for a total fo 96 hours (EPA 1975, ASTM 1998). For the first 48 hours, organisms were acclimated to the test water and temperature. The test organisms were then moved to clean containers and held for an additional 48 hours at the test temperature in 100% test water. Organisms were not fed during the 48 hours of holding in 100% test water.
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication_Date: 1975
Title:
Methods for acute toxicity tests with fish, macroinvertebrates, and amphibians.
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Ecological Research Series
Issue_Identification: EPA 660/3-75-009
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, D.C.
Publisher: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: American Society for Testing and Materials
Publication_Date: 1998
Title:
Standard guide for conducting acute toxicity tests. E729.
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Identifier:
Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Methodology_Keyword: chemicals
Methodology_Description:
The chemicals used in testing were carbaryl, copper, 4-nonylphenol, pentachlorophenol, and permethrin. Chemicals were selected to represent different classes of chemical and modes of toxic action. Organic chemical stock solutions were prepared by dissolving the chemical in reagent grade acetone, whereas stock solutions for copper were prepared by dissolving copper in deionied water. The maximum acetone concentration in any test container was 0.05 mL/L. Organic and inorganic chemical stocks were analyzed to confirm nominal concentrations. Organic chemical analysis was conducted at either Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory (Mississippi State, MS) or ABC Laboratories (Columbia, MO) using gas chromatography. Copper stocks were confirmed at either the CERC or Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Overall, the mean percent nominal concentration was 110% (n=9), with a mean range of 63% (copper) to 160% (permethrin). One 4-nonylphenol stock had a percent nominal concentration of 320%. However, biological results from the tests using these stocks were similar to tests conducted with other 4-nonylphenol stocks. The investigators therefore believe that the reported value for this sample is incorrect and that percent recovery was not included in the average percent of nominal concentration.
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Identifier:
Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Methodology_Keyword: toxicity tests
Methodology_Description:
Static acute toxicity tests were conducted in basic accordance with procedures described in EPA (1975) and ASTM (1998). Exposures were conducted in 19.6 L glass jars containing 15 L of test solution. All tests were conducted at 22 degrees Centigrade. Test water was resconstituted hard water (alkalinity 110 to 120 mg/L as CaCO3, hardness 160 to 180 mg/L as CaCO3 - ASTM 1998). One study with the boreal toad was conducted in CERC well water. Tests were conducted under ambient lighting. The exposure series consisted of six concentrations with a 60% dilution series tested in duplicate (except for the tests with the boreal toad, which were tested in triplicate). When a solvent was used, both a solvent control and a dilution water control were included for each species. Individual test series were randomly assigned to a waterbath and location within a waterbath (complete block design). Fishes and tadpoles were counted into two groups (3 to 5 organisms per group depending on availability) and pooled for each exposure replicate (7 to 10 organisms/replicate). Mortality was the endpoint measured at 6, 12 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure and was defined as lack of movement for a 5 -s observation with the unaided eye. Dead animals were removed at each observational time. Carbaryl concentrations used in the test conducted with the boreal toad tadpoles were not high enough to estimate LC50 concentrations. Subsequent testing with boreal toad tadpoles was being peformed concurrently with this study. In that testing, exposures were conducted in the well water used for culture and the carbaryl testing had a 70% dilution series. All other conditions were similar.
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: American Society for Testing and Materials
Publication_Date: 1998
Title:
Standard guide for conducting acute toxicity tests. E729.
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Identifier:
Methodology_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Methodology_Keyword: water quality
Methodology_Description:
Alkalinity, hardness, and pH were measured on each batch of reconstituted water before the start of the exposures. Alkalinity and hardness of reconstituted hard water were within suggested ranges, but average pH (8.4) was slightly above the suggested value of 8.0. The pH was measured on the control, low, medium, and high exposure concentrations at 0 hours and in those same treatments if organisms survived to 48 and 96 hours of exposure. Any drop in dissolved oxygen was isolated and interspersed throughout the exposures. However in toxicity tests with shovelnose sturgeon, jars with acetone added either as a control or as a chemical carrier had low concentrations of dissolved oxygen at 48 hours of exposure. The low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in those jars may have been the cause for the mortalities observed in that test at 72 hours of exposure. For this reason, data generated from toxicity tests with shovelnose sturgeon using solvent carriers should be interpreted with caution. No toxicity data for shovelnose sturgeon toxicity tests using acetone as a carrier solvent beyond 48 hours of exposure.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The LC 50 and 95% confidence interval for each test was usually calculated using probit analysis. However, when probit analysis was not appropriate (i.e., less than two partial mortalities), LC50's and confidence intervals were calculated using moving average or a non-linear interpolative procedure (Stephan, 1977). The LC50's and confidence intervals were determined using nominal concentrations. For the present study, they did not have multiple tests for the listed species. Therefore to compare listed species responses to rainbow trout, an overall LC50 and confidence interval for each chemical was calculated for rainbow trout by combining all replicates from the six tests. The LC50's for fountain darters, greenthroat darters, shovenlnose sturgeon, gila topminnow, and boreal toads calculated in the present study were then compared to the overall LC50 for rainbow trout. Differences between LC50's were tested for statistical significance using the procedure described by Sprague and Fogels (1976).
Process_Date: 1998
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
Entity - foundtain darter, greenthroat darter, shovelnose sturgeon, Gila topminnow, boreal toad tadpoles; Associated attributes - 0, 48 hour, 96 hour toxicity tests.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation: none
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources
Division, Columbia Environmental Research Center
Contact_Person: Christopher Henke
Contact_Position: Webmaster
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Rd
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: MO
Postal_Code: 65201
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 573-875-5399
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 573-876-1896
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: chris_henke@usgs.gov
Distribution_Liability:
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from a U.S. Geological Survey server, and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.
Custom_Order_Process: Please contact distributor.
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 200003
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Raytheon Information Technology and Scientific
Services (ITSS)
Contact_Person: Cheryl Solomon
Contact_Position: Ecosystem Coordinator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: 4500 Forbes Boulevard
City: Lanham
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20706
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301 794-3049
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 301 794-3164
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: solomon@gcmd.nasa.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name:
NBII Content Standard for National Biological Information Infrastructure Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: December 1995
Metadata_Access_Constraints: None
Metadata_Use_Constraints: None
Generated by mp on Tue May 23 08:29:18 2000