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The effect of food on the acute toxicity of silver nitrate to four freshwater test species and acute-to-chronic ratios

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Abstract

Acute silver toxicity studies were conducted with and without food for four common freshwater test species: Daphnia magna, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow—FHM), and Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout—RBT) in order to generate acute-to-chronic ratios (ACR). The studies were conducted similarly (i.e., static-renewal or flow-through) to chronic/early-life stage studies that were previously performed in this laboratory. The acute toxicity (EC/LC50 values) of silver without food ranged from 0.57 μg dissolved Ag/l for C.dubia to 9.15 μg dissolved Ag/l for RBT. The presence of food resulted in an increase in EC/LC50 values from 1.25× for RBT to 22.4× for C. dubia. Invertebrate food type was also shown to effect acute silver toxicity. Food did not affect EC/LC50s or ACRs as greatly in fish studies as in invertebrate studies. ACRs for both invertebrate species were <1.0 when using acute studies without food but were 1.22 and 1.33 when using acute studies with food. ACRs for FHMs ranged from 4.06 to 7.19, while RBT ACRs ranged from 28.6 to 35.8 depending on whether food was present in acute studies. The data generated from this research program should be useful in re-determining a final ACR for silver in freshwater as well as in risk assessments.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to A. Rehner, S. Stribley, and P. Collins for their assistance performing the studies and completing the chemical analyses for the studies and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments regarding this manuscript. Funding for these studies was provided by International Imaging Industries Association and through a contract awarded to HydroQual Inc. by the Water Environment Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fort Collins Environmental Toxicology Laboratory, AECOM, 4303 W. LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA

    Rami B. Naddy & Gina R. McNerney

  2. Gorsuch Environmental Management Services, Inc., Webster, NY, 14580, USA

    Joseph W. Gorsuch

  3. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Russell A. Bell & James R. Kramer

  4. HydroQual Inc., 1200 MacArthur Blvd, Mahwah, NJ, 07430, USA

    Kuen B. Wu & Paul R. Paquin

Authors
  1. Rami B. Naddy
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  2. Gina R. McNerney
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  3. Joseph W. Gorsuch
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  4. Russell A. Bell
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  5. James R. Kramer
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  6. Kuen B. Wu
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  7. Paul R. Paquin
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Correspondence to Rami B. Naddy.

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Naddy, R.B., McNerney, G.R., Gorsuch, J.W. et al. The effect of food on the acute toxicity of silver nitrate to four freshwater test species and acute-to-chronic ratios. Ecotoxicology 20, 2019–2029 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0745-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0745-7

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