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Effects of Three Antifouling Agents on Algal Communities and Algal Reproduction: Mixture Toxicity Studies with TBT, Irgarol, and Sea-Nine

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Abstract

The toxicity of three antifoulants (Sea-Nine, Irgarol, and TBT) was determined individually and in mixtures in two tests with microalgae. Effects on periphyton community photosynthesis and reproduction of the unicellular green algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus were investigated. The tested antifoulants were highly toxic in both tests. Observed mixture toxicities were compared with predictions derived from two concepts: Independent Action (IA), assumed to be more relevant for the tested mixtures that were composed of dissimilarly acting substances, and Concentration Addition (CA), regarded as a reasonable worst-case approach in predictive mixture hazard assessment. Despite the corresponding mechanistic basis, IA failed to provide accurate predictions of the observed mixture toxicities. Results show the same pattern in both assays. Mixture effects at high concentrations were slightly overestimated and effects at low concentrations were slightly underestimated. Maximum observed deviations between observed and IA-predicted concentrations amount to a factor of 4. The suggested worst-case approach using CA was protective only in effect regions above 20%. Nevertheless, the application of any concept that accounts for possible mixture effects is more realistic than the present chemical-by-chemical assessment.

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Acknowledgments

The excellent technical assistance with the algal reproduction tests of Wiebke Meyer, Marianne Matzke, Friederike von Möller, and Erika Lorenz at the University of Bremen (Germany) is gratefully acknowledged. The excellent working facilities at the Kristineberg Marine Research Station and the corresponding funding from the Hierta-Retzius foundation and Göteborg University Marine Research Centre were crucial for these studies. Thanks to three anonymous reviewers for fruitful comments. The research was financially supported by the Commission of the European Union; PREDICT: Prediction and assessment of the aquatic toxicity of mixtures of chemicals (ENV4-CT96-0319); and BEAM: Bridging effect assessment of mixtures to ecosystem situation and regulations (EVK1-1999-00055).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botanical Institute, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    Åsa Arrhenius, Frederick Grönvall & Hans Blanck

  2. Department of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Thomas Backhaus & Marion Junghans

  3. Centre for Toxicology, The School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom

    Martin Scholze

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  1. Åsa Arrhenius
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  2. Thomas Backhaus
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  3. Frederick Grönvall
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  4. Marion Junghans
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Correspondence to Åsa Arrhenius.

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Arrhenius, Å., Backhaus, T., Grönvall, F. et al. Effects of Three Antifouling Agents on Algal Communities and Algal Reproduction: Mixture Toxicity Studies with TBT, Irgarol, and Sea-Nine. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 50, 335–345 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-1057-9

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