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Studies of the Toxicity of Ammunition Plant Wastes to Fishes
Author(s) -
Degani John George
Publication year - 1945
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1943)73[45:sottoa]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - dilution , toxicity , trout , ammunition , chemistry , environmental science , fish <actinopterygii> , environmental chemistry , pulp and paper industry , toxicology , fishery , biology , materials science , physics , organic chemistry , engineering , metallurgy , thermodynamics
A reported, but as yet unconfirmed, ill effect on fishes of wastes from a munition plant led to a study of the toxicity of these wastes to fishes. The red liquor from the manufacture of tri‐nitro‐toluene (T.N.T.) was suspected. The constituents of this waste include dissolved T.N.T. and toluene, both of which are very toxic. Many other compounds which may be very toxic are also present. Certain minnows are similar in sensitivity to trout yolk sac and very young fry of the trout. The red liquor waste from T.N.T. manufacture was found to kill these fishes when the dilution of an average sample was 600 times or less. A safe dilution is probably 1,000 times during the cooler months. A rise in temperature which occurs in streams at the time of low water increases toxicity and requires greater dilution when it is actually least.