Methods for Measuring the Acute Toxicity of Effluents and

2,98
MB Receiving Waters to Freshwater and Marine Organisms

275
stron

5074
ID UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

2002
rok

CONTENTS

Figures vi

Tables vii

1. Introduction . 1

2. Types of Tests . 2

3. Health and Safety . 5

General Precautions . 5

Safety Equipment . 5

General Laboratory and Field Operation . 5

Disease Prevention 6

Safety Manuals . 6

Waste Disposal . 6

4. Quality Assurance 7

Introduction . 7

Facilities, Equipment, and Test Chambers 7

Test Organisms . 7

Laboratory Water Used for Culturing and Test Dilution Water . 7

Effluent Sampling and Sample Handling . 8

Test Conditions . 8

Quality of Test Organisms 8

Food Quality . 8

Acceptability of Acute Toxicity Test Results . 9

Analytical Methods . 9

Calibration and Standardization 9

Replication and Test Sensitivity . 10

Variability in Toxicity Test Results 10

Demonstrating Acceptable Laboratory Performance . 18

Documenting Ongoing Laboratory Performance 18

Reference Toxicants 21

Record Keeping . 21

5. Facilities and Equipment 22

General Requirements 22

Cleaning Test Chambers and Laboratory Apparatus . 23

Apparatus and Equipment for Culturing and Toxicity Tests 23

Reagents and Consumable Materials . 24

Test Organisms 26

6. Test Organisms . 27

Test Species 27

Sources of Test Organisms . 28

Life Stage 29

Laboratory Culturing . 29

Holding and Handling Test Organisms . 29

Transportation to the Test Site 29

Test Organism Disposal . 30

7. Dilution Water 31

Types of Dilution Water . 31

Standard, Synthetic Dilution Water 31

Use of Receiving Water as Dilution Water 33

Use of Tap Water as Dilution Water . 35

Dilution Water Holding . 36

8. Effluent and Receiving Water Sampling and Sample Handling 37

Effluent Sampling 37

Effluent Sample Types 37

Effluent Sampling Recommendations 38

Receiving Water Sampling . 39

Effluent and Receiving Water Sample Handling, Preservation, and Shipping . 39

Sample Receiving 40

Persistence of Effluent Toxicity During Sample Shipment and Holding . 40

9. Acute Toxicity Test Procedures 41

Preparation of Effluent and Receiving Water Samples for Toxicity Tests 41

Preliminary Toxicity Range-finding Tests . 43

Multi-Concentration (Definitive) Effluent Toxicity Tests . 43

Receiving Water Tests 43

Static Tests . 44

Flow-Through Tests 45

Number of Test Organisms 45

Replicate Test Chambers 45

Loading of Test Organisms 46

Illumination 46

Feeding 46

Test Temperature 46

Stress 47

Dissolved Oxygen Concentration 47

Test Duration . 50

Acceptability of Test Results . 50

Summary of Test Conditions for the Principal Test Organisms 50

10. Test Data 67

Biological Data 67

Chemical and Physical Data 67

11. Acute Toxicity Data Analysis 71

Introduction 71

Determination of the LC50 from Definitive, Multi-Effluent-Concentration Acute Toxicity Tests 72

The Graphical Method 72

The Spearman-Karber Method 76

The Trimmed Spearman-Karber Method 78

The Probit Method . 81

Determination of No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Concentration (NOAEC) from Multi-Concentration

Tests, and Determination of Pass or Fail (Pass/Fail) for Single-Concentration (Paired) Tests 83

General Procedure 88

Single Concentration Test 95

Multi-Concentration Test 98

12. Report Preparation and Test Review 109

Report Preparation 109

Introduction 109

Plant Operations 109

Source of Effluent, Receiving Water, and Dilution Water 109

Test Conditions . 110

Test Organisms . 110

Quality Assurance . 110

Results 110

Conclusions and Recommendations . 110

Test Review . 111

Sampling and Handling . 111

Test Acceptability Criteria 111

Test Conditions . 111

Statistical Methods 111

Concentration-Response Relationships . 112

Reference Toxicant Testing . 112

Test Variability . 113

Cited References 114

Bibliography . 119

Appendices . 124

A. Distribution, Life Cycle, Taxonomy, and Culture Methods 125

A.1. Ceriodaphnia dubia 125

A.2. Daphnia (D. magna and D. pulex) 140

A.3. Mysids (Mysidopsis bahia and Holmesimysis costata) . 159

A.4. Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) . 178

A.5. Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) . 185

A.6. Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss and Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis 201

A.7. Sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) . 209

A.8. Silversides: Inland Silverside (Mendia beryllina), Atlantic Silverside (M. menidia), and Tidewater

Silverside (M. peninsulae) . 224

B. Supplemental List of Acute Toxicity Test Species . 238

C. Dilutor Systems 240

D. Plans for Mobile Toxicity Test Laboratory . 253

D.1. Tandem-Axle Trailer . 253

D.2. Fifth Wheel Trailer 256

E. Check Lists and Information Sheets 257

E.1. Toxicity Test Field Equipment List . 257

E.2. Information Check List for On-Site Industrial or Municipal Toxicity Test . 259

E.3. Daily Events Log 264

E.4. Dilutor Calibration Form 265

E.5. Daily Dilutor Calibration Check 266