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Sensitivity of Lamprey Ammocoetes to Six Chemicals

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Abstract

As part of the ecological risk assessment for Portland Harbor Superfund site, a study was conducted to address the question of whether the use of surrogate species in the risk assessment would be protective of lamprey ammocoetes. The study evaluated the acute toxicity of six chemicals: pentachlorophenol, copper, diazinon, aniline, naphthalene, and lindane; these chemicals represent the toxic modes of action of oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler, gill dysfunction, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, polar narcosis, narcosis, and central nervous system interference, respectively. Field-collected lamprey ammocoetes were exposed to each of the six chemicals in a definitive 96-h flow-through acute water-only toxicity test. LC50s were calculated for pentachlorophenol at 31 μg/l, copper at 46 μg/l, diazinon at 8.9 mg/l, and aniline at 430 mg/l. Species sensitivity distributions based on LC50s for aquatic organisms indicated that lamprey ammocoetes were relatively sensitive to pentachlorophenol (15th percentile). The sensitivity of lamprey ammocoetes to copper approximated the average of aquatic species tested (46th percentile). Lamprey ammocoetes were relatively insensitive to diazinon and aniline (72th and 90th percentile, respectively). The 96-h LC50 for naphthalene was estimated at 10 mg/l, based on 50% mortality in the highest concentration. Based on a comparison with LC50s for four other fish species, ranging from 2.0 to 6.6 mg/l, lamprey ammocoetes were relatively insensitive to naphthalene. A 96-h LC50 could not be derived for lindane, with 12.5% mortality in the highest test concentration of 2.68 mg/l. LC50s for numerous other fish species ranged from 0.001 to 0.24 mg/l, indicating that lamprey ammocoetes were relatively insensitive to lindane. The study concluded that the use of surrogate species in the ecological risk assessment for Portland Harbor would be protective of lamprey ammocoetes.

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Notes

  1. The Willamette River is within the documented distribution range of Pacific lamprey (E. tridentatus) and western brook lamprey (L. richardsoni) (Kostow 2002). Pacific brook lamprey (L. pacifica) have been collected from the Willamette River; however, the validity of recognizing this as a separate species has been questioned (Kostow 2002). River lamprey (L. ayresii) might exist in the Willamette River; however, this species has not been documented in Oregon since 1980 (Alaska Natural Heritage Program 2005).

  2. Other investigators are in the process of conducting pilot studies to develop sediment toxicity testing methods for lamprey (NOAA 2009).

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Acknowledgment

This work was funded by the Lower Willamette Group. The manuscript represents the work of the authors and does not represent the position of the Lower Willamette Group or its members.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Windward Environmental LLC, 200 West Mercer Street, Suite 401, Seattle, WA, 98119, USA

    Helle B. Andersen, John Toll, Thai Do & Lisa Saban

  2. Northwest Aquatic Sciences, 3814 Yaquina Bay Road, Newport, OR, 97365, USA

    Richard S. Caldwell

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  1. Helle B. Andersen
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Correspondence to Helle B. Andersen.

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Andersen, H.B., Caldwell, R.S., Toll, J. et al. Sensitivity of Lamprey Ammocoetes to Six Chemicals. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 59, 622–631 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9514-5

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