Reduction in tolerance to progressive hypoxia in the central stoneroller minnow following sublethal exposure to phenol

Abstract

Acute exposure of the central stoneroller minnow to sublethal levels of phenol was found to decrease the ability of this species to tolerate hypoxic conditions as indicated by the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration at which loss of equilibrium occurred. For fishes acclimated at 7.5 °C, loss of equilibrium occurred at progressively higher DO levels as the phenol exposure concentration was increased from 0 to 12 mg phenol L⁻¹. Mean DO concentrations at which loss of equilibrium occurred ranged from 2.33 ± 0.10 mg O₂ L⁻¹. for the control group (0 mg phenol L⁻¹. to 2.76 ± 0.14 mg O₂ L⁻¹. (at 12 mg phenol L⁻¹. Loss of equilibrium also occurred at progressively higher DO levels in fish acclimated at 23 °C, but only after an initial decrease among the 6 mg phenol L⁻¹. test fish in the loss of equilibrium DO concentration. At 23 °C, loss of equilibrium occurred at DO levels ranging from 1.3 ± 0.09 mg O₂ L⁻¹. (6 mg phenol L⁻¹. to 2.33 ± 0.16 mg O₂ L⁻¹. (12 mg phenol L⁻¹. These data indicate that acute exposures to sublethal levels of phenol can have significant effects on the ability of the stoneroller minnow to tolerate conditions of low DO, and the results agree with the previously reported relationship between phenol toxicity and DO levels.