Comparative evaluation of three rapid marine toxicity tests: Sea urchin early embryo growth test, sea urchin sperm cell toxicity test and microtox

Abstract

Three rapid marine toxicity tests were evaluated to determine their potential usefulness in a toxicity testing program: early embryo growth test and sperm cell toxicity test, both using the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata, and Microtox. Toxicity values (EC50s) were derived for eight organic chemicals and five metals using each system. Results were compared with LC50 values for the same chemicals from standard aquatic tests with Pimephales romelas and Daphnia magna and for the metals with Menidia menidia and Mysidopsis bahia. The EC50 values for the sea urchin early embryo growth test for organics and the LC50 values for fish and crustaceans for organics and metals with which the rapid tests were compared were from the literature. For organic chemicals, EC50s from rapid tests closely approximated LC50s and toxicity rankings, except that the sperm cell test was particularly sensitive to 2,4‐pentanedione and 2‐methyl‐2,4‐pentanediol. EC50s for metals were generally comparable with each other and with other tests using embryo and sperm of other sea urchins and oysters but not with LC50s for Mysidopsis and Menidia. These results indicate the potential value of rapid tests to screen and rank substances for toxicity. Additional information on the usefulness of these tests will be gained through continuing comparisons using a broad spectrum of single substances and complex mixtures with varying modes of action.

Novel and Conserved Micrornas in Dalian Purple Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Nudus) Identified by Next Generation Sequencing

“…Sea urchin has been proposed as a model marine animal for physiological and genetic studies, such as sea environment toxicology 33, development, evolution and disease, due to its biological and economic importance and its highly similar genomic sequence to human 14.…”

Combined effects of an antifouling biocide and nutrient status on a shallow-water microbenthic community

“…The most common way to test toxicity to date has been through laboratory studies with 1 or several species exposed to 1 stressor at a time under constant conditions (Nacci et al 1986, Haglund 1997. These types of tests are difficult to extrapolate to natural field conditions since they exclude a large number of potential interactions that occur among the numerous components of complex natural ecosystems, so-called indirect effects (Brock et al 2004).…”

2-Methyl-2,4-pentanediol gas sensor properties of nano-SnO2 flat-type coplanar gas sensing arrays at low detection limit

“…Crispe [10] found that only 82 % of the human monocytes still appeared viable after incubation at 3 × 10 −1 M of MPD. Nacci et al [11] determined that MPD had exceptionally toxic effect to sperm which had also been confirmed by Cuevas-Uribe et al [8]. Procter [12] reported that MPD could depress the central nervous system and had a toxic action on the kidneys as well as the liver.…”