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Sublethal effects of phenanthrene, nicotine, and pinane on Daphnia pulex

January 1, 1989

Chronic studies of Daphnia Pulex exposed to different concentrations of phenanthrene, nicotine, and pinane produced consistent sublethal effects among replicates and concentrations. The LOEC's for growth and fecundity with each chemical tested were 3 to 30% of the 48-hr EC50's. Growth decreased as concentration increased for each chemical tested, and fecundity approached zero at 2 to 5 times the LOEC for each chemical. In this study chemicals representing PAHs, heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, and cyclic alkanes, produced detectable sublethal effects in daphnids at less than 0.1 ppm in water. These chronic studies, in conjuction with the more extensive acute toxicity testing (Passino and Smith 1987; Perry and Smith 1988; Smith et al. 1988), provided a relatively quick but thorough toxicological assessment of a large array of chemicals and demonstrated the relative importance of different classes of compounds in changing growth and survival trends in given populations of native organisms. Classic toxicity tests continue to provide a reliable backdrop of results with which the effects of new chemicals or mixtures can be compared.

Publication Year 1989
Title Sublethal effects of phenanthrene, nicotine, and pinane on Daphnia pulex
DOI 10.1007/BF01700403
Authors Jacqueline F. Savino, Lila L. Tanabe
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Index ID 1000570
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Great Lakes Science Center
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