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An example of the identification of diazinon as a primary toxicant in an effluent
Author(s) -
Amato Joseph R.,
Lukasewycz Marta T.,
Robert Eric D.,
Mount Donald I.,
Durhan Elizabeth J.,
Ankley Gerald T.
Publication year - 1992
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.5620110210
Subject(s) - diazinon , toxicant , effluent , environmental chemistry , toxicity , toxicology , pimephales promelas , pollutant , bioassay , chemistry , environmental science , pesticide , biology , environmental engineering , ecology , minnow , organic chemistry , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
A toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) conducted on a municipal wastewater discharge from the southeast United States was part of a research project aimed at developing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) TIE methods for acutely toxic effluents. The effluent consistently exhibited acute toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia but not to fathead minnows ( Pimephales promelas ). Toxicity characterization procedures revealed that the primary toxicant was a nonpolar organic. Toxicity was recovered through C 18 solid‐phase extraction and concentration steps. Gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy of these concentrates revealed the presence of diazinon ( O, O ‐diethyl O ‐[6‐methyl‐2‐(1‐methylethyl)‐4‐pyrimidinyl] phosphorothioate). Diazinon concentrations in whole effluent, determined by GC analyses, correlated well with the toxicity measurements of each sample. Relative species sensitivity also implicated diazinon as the primary toxicant. This study illustrates the successful application of EPA TIE methodologies for identifying a nonpolar organic toxicant in a complex effluent. The significance of detecting diazinon at acutely toxic concentrations in municipal wastewater may indicate a more widespread problem in this region of the United States. This toxicity problem may be attributed to the chemical characteristics of diazinon and its applications.