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Identification of ammonia as an important sediment‐associated toxicant in the lower fox River and green bay, Wisconsin
Author(s) -
Ankley Gerald T.,
Katko Albert,
Arthur John W.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620090307
Subject(s) - ceriodaphnia dubia , selenastrum , pimephales promelas , photobacterium phosphoreum , bay , sediment , environmental chemistry , toxicant , acute toxicity , cladocera , toxicity , biology , environmental science , ecology , bioassay , fishery , chemistry , geology , zooplankton , oceanography , fish <actinopterygii> , paleontology , organic chemistry , minnow
Toxicity of sediment pore water from 13 sites in the lower Fox River/Green Bay watershed was assessed using a number of test species. Sediment pore water from the 10 lower Fox River sites exhibited acute toxicity to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) and Ceriodaphnia dubia , and pore water samples from all 13 sites were chronically toxic to C. dubia. Sediment pore water from seven of the sampling sites was toxic to Selenastrum capricornutum , but none of the samples were toxic to Photobacterium phosphoreum. Toxicity characterization, identification and confirmation procedures indicated that a significant amount of the acute toxicity of the pore water to fathead minnows and C. dubia was due to ammonia. The identification of ammonia, a naturally occurring compound in sediments, as a potentially important sediment‐associated toxicant has implications for sediment toxicity assessment and control, not only in the Fox River and Green Bay, but in other freshwater and marine systems as well.