483
regardless of where the testing is performed. Therefore, established standardized
toxicity test protocols, such as those developed by the US Environmental Protection
Agency (Table 28.1; EPA 2002, 2003), for determining the acute (mortality/death as
the biological endpoint) and chronic toxicity (a variety of sublethal biological endpoints, often relating to growth and/or reproductive output) of contaminants to specific marine and estuarine species are commonly used in regulatory applications.
The use of standard EPA test organisms allows a for the comparison of toxicity for
different contaminants; however, the test species list is very restricted in scope and
often does not reflect the species or life stages under a specific threat in a particular
location, and the ecological application of standardized toxicity testing results can
Table 28.1 EPA standard acute and chronic toxicity testing for marine and estuarine organisms
Species
Duration Life stage
Exposure
Endpoint
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Chronic Larval
7 days – static renewal
Survival and weight
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Chronic Embryo and
larval
Fertilization to 4
dph – static renewal
Survival and
deformities
Menidia beryllina Chronic Larval
7 days –static renewal
Survival and weight
Americamysis
bahia
Chronic Juvenile
7 days –static renewal
Survival, growth, and
fecundity
Arbacia
punctulata
Chronic Sperm
1 hr. – static renewal
Fertilization
Champia parvula Chronic Sexually
mature
48 hrs – static renewal
Sexual reproduction
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Menidia beryllina Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Menidia menidia Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Americamysis
bahia
Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
(EPA 2002, 2003)
28 A Synthesis of DWH Oil: Chemical Dispersant and Chemically Dispersed Oil…
regardless of where the testing is performed. Therefore, established standardized
toxicity test protocols, such as those developed by the US Environmental Protection
Agency (Table 28.1; EPA 2002, 2003), for determining the acute (mortality/death as
the biological endpoint) and chronic toxicity (a variety of sublethal biological endpoints, often relating to growth and/or reproductive output) of contaminants to specific marine and estuarine species are commonly used in regulatory applications.
The use of standard EPA test organisms allows a for the comparison of toxicity for
different contaminants; however, the test species list is very restricted in scope and
often does not reflect the species or life stages under a specific threat in a particular
location, and the ecological application of standardized toxicity testing results can
Table 28.1 EPA standard acute and chronic toxicity testing for marine and estuarine organisms
Species
Duration Life stage
Exposure
Endpoint
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Chronic Larval
7 days – static renewal
Survival and weight
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Chronic Embryo and
larval
Fertilization to 4
dph – static renewal
Survival and
deformities
Menidia beryllina Chronic Larval
7 days –static renewal
Survival and weight
Americamysis
bahia
Chronic Juvenile
7 days –static renewal
Survival, growth, and
fecundity
Arbacia
punctulata
Chronic Sperm
1 hr. – static renewal
Fertilization
Champia parvula Chronic Sexually
mature
48 hrs – static renewal
Sexual reproduction
Cyprinodon
variegatus
Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Menidia beryllina Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Menidia menidia Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
Americamysis
bahia
Acute
Juvenile
24 hrs – static
nonrenewal
48 hrs – static renewal or
nonrenewal
96 hrs – static renewal
or all flow-through
Mortality
(EPA 2002, 2003)
28 A Synthesis of DWH Oil: Chemical Dispersant and Chemically Dispersed Oil…