Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine the influence of a range of salinities (5, 15, and 25 ppt) on the chronic toxicity of atrazine to the copepod, Eurytemora affinis during 8-day life-cycle tests. Survival, development (proportion of immature organisms) and reproduction (percent of egg-carrying females) were the endpoints used to determine chronic toxicity. Survival was the most sensitive endpoint and was therefore used to determine chronic values. The No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) and the Lowest Observed Effect Concentration (LOEC) at 5 ppt were 12.25 and 17.5 mg/L, respectively. The calculated chronic value was 14.6 mg/L. The NOEC and LOEC at 15 ppt were 17.5 and 25 mg/L, respectively, and the calculated chronic value at 15 ppt was 20.9 mg/L. The NOEC and LOEC at 25 ppt were 4.2 and 6.0 mg/L, respectively, while the calculated chronic value at 25 ppt was 5.01 mg/L. Results from a bootstrapping statistical technique demonstrated that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between chronic values at 5 ppt (14.6 mg/L) and 25 ppt (5.01 mg/L), and between 15 ppt (20.9 mg/L) and 25 ppt (5.01 mg/L). There was no significant difference between chronic values at 5 ppt (14.6 mg/L) and 15 ppt (20.9 mg/L). These specific data for atrazine have important implications for development of estuarine water quality criteria, as toxicity test results at one salinity are not representative of the salinity range found in many estuaries.
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Hall, L.W., Ziegenfuss, M.C., Anderson, R.D. et al. The influence of salinity on the chronic toxicity of atrazine to an estuarine copepod: Implications for development of an estuarine chronic criterion. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 28, 344–348 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213112
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213112