Abstract
Limited studies indicate that mussels are generally insensitive to organic chemicals; however, these studies were conducted in acute or short-term exposures, and little is known about the chronic sensitivity of mussels to organic chemicals. We evaluated the chronic (28 days) toxicity of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) to two commonly tested species of mussels: fatmucket (Lampsilis siliquoidea) and rainbow mussel (Villosa iris). By the end of the 28 days chronic exposures, mean survival was ≥93% in all treatments, but the mean dry weight and biomass of mussels at the highest exposure concentrations were significantly reduced relative to the control. The 20% effect concentrations were similar between the two species. When compared to all other tested species, fatmucket and rainbow mussels are among the top four most sensitive species to 4-NP. However, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chronic water quality criterion of 6.6 μg 4-NP/L should protect the two mussel species.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all members of the CERC Toxicology and Chemistry branches for their assistance in conducting these exposures.
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The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Funding
Funding for the present study was provided in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
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Ivey, C.D., Wang, N., Alvarez, D. et al. Chronic Toxicity of 4-Nonylphenol to Two Unionid Mussels in Water-Only Exposures. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 101, 423–427 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2422-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2422-5