Comparative Toxicity of Eight Model Substances to the Sediment Dwelling Invertebrates Lumbriculus variegatus and Chironomus riparius

Existing ecotoxicity data for chemicals vary to a high extent between the environmental compartments water and sediment, since the evaluation of contaminants has historically focused on water exposition. Many anthropogenic chemicals and waste materials, including toxic organic and inorganic chemicals, adsorb to particulate matter and accumulate in sediments, and may thus be a threat to organisms living in the sediment. The invertebrates Chironomus riparius and Lumbriculus variegatus were selected as representatives of endobenthic living organisms. Acute toxicity tests, via water-only exposure, and sediment toxicity tests were conducted with the two endobenthic invertebrates. In sediment toxicity tests, organisms are mainly exposed to sediment- and particle-bound chemicals and dissolved chemical in the pore water. Toxicity data for algae, daphnids, and fish (via water-only exposure) are available for many substances, whereas the existing sediment toxicity data are rather rare. Thus, the interest arises to predict sediment toxicity for sediment-dwelling invertebrates from existing acute toxicity data of tests with water-only exposure. The main emphasis of this work was placed on one metal compound and seven organic chemicals. The objective of this study was fivefold: (1) develop methods and improve existing procedures on acute and sediment toxicity testing of the two invertebrates; (2) conduct both acute toxicity tests via water exposure and long-term sediment toxicity tests for the selected model substances to generate data for comparative discussion; (3) assess correlations among acute toxicity data of the organisms exposed via water-only and correlations among sediment toxicity data of the two endobenthic invertebrates for the eight tested chemicals; (4) assess possible forecasting for sediment toxicity from acute toxicity (via water-only exposure) and (5) assess exposure effects to determine the main exposure route. Acute toxicity data of the eight tested chemicals of D. magna significantly correlated with data of L. variegatus and C. riparius (p<0.05). However, a prediction of toxicity based on D. magna data bears high uncertainty, due to the small data set and high variation in sensitivity of the organisms. Existing sediment toxicity test methods were improved to meet the demand for artificial sediments containing organic matter that serves sufficiently as internal food source for the test organisms, and thus representing natural exposure conditions. However, the sediments that were used for the two organisms to test the selected model substances differed in sediment composition. Therefore, a sediment with the same sediment composition and the same water-to-sediment ratio for both invertebrates was developed, to have similar exposure conditions. In sediment toxicity tests, C. riparius was observed to be more sensitive than L. variegatus and no correlation was observed among data of the invertebrates. For the selected substances, lowest effect concentrations were observed for 3,4-dichloroaniline, whereas effect concentrations were the highest for benzo[a]pyrene. No correlations were found between the acute toxicity data of exposure via the water phase and sediment toxicity data, thus making a prediction of sediment toxicity data impossible. From analytical measurements of chemicals concentration in the compartments overlying, pore water, and bulk sediment, partition coefficients on sediment water partitioning were calculated. The highest partition coefficient ratios for sediment water partitioning were found for the high lipophilic organic substances 4,4-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethan (DDT) and benzo[a]pyrene. Further, it was found that the main exposure routes in the 28-day sediment toxicity tests were not only chemical but species-dependent. As a result of very differing exposure routes for the tested chemicals and the absence of correlations from the acute to sediment toxicity data, sediment toxicity tests are necessary to assess the toxicity of chemicals on sediment inhabiting organisms.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Technische Universität Dresden

Year

2006

Author dc:creator

• Gildemeister, Thomas

Contributors dc:contributor

• Nagel, Roland
• Nagel, R.
• Roth, M.
• Ratte, H. T.

• Sediment toxicity test
• acute toxicity test
• Lumbriculus variegatus
• Chironomus riparius
• exposure route
• correlation
• Sedimenttoxizitätstest
• Akute Toxizität
• Expositionspfad
• Korrelation