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Hydrobia ulvae feeding rates: A novel way to assess sediment toxicity
Author(s) -
Shipp Emily,
Grant Alastair
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1897/06-057r.1
Subject(s) - toxicity , crustacean , biology , toxicology , sediment , amphipoda , environmental chemistry , acute toxicity , chronic toxicity , ecology , chemistry , paleontology , organic chemistry
Standard acute toxicity tests are widely used to assess contaminated sediments. However, such tests last 10 d or more and only provide information regarding lethality. Here, we present data concerning the use of a 28‐d growth test and a 24‐h test using feeding rate, as measured by egestion rate, of the marine snail Hydrobia ulvae . The test was used to assess the toxicity of estuarine sediments from a gradient of heavy metal contamination, and its sensitivity and ease of use were compared with those of 10‐d tests using the amphipod crustacean Corophium volutator . Mortality of C. volutator and H. ulvae in 10‐d lethal toxicity tests showed similar patterns of sensitivity. Lethality tests with both species showed no effects when carried out using sediments from a number of sites at which ecological impacts are known to occur. By contrast, growth over 28 d in H. ulvae was reduced at all sites where other studies have detected adverse ecological effects. Feeding rate after 24 h also was decreased at moderately contaminated sites where sediments were not acutely toxic, and it was a very good predictor of 28‐d growth ( r 2 = 0.74). Both tests were straightforward to carry out, so H. ulvae has considerable potential as a test organism for chronic toxicity.