Effects of a Nonionic Surfactant (C14-15 Ae-7) on Fish Survival, Growth and Reproduction in the Laboratory and in Outdoor Stream Mesocosms

Abstract

Abstract-The effects of a nonionic surfactant (C 14-15 AE-7) on survival and growth of juvenile bluegill sunfish and on survival and reproduction of fathead minnows were investigated in the laboratory and in outdoor stream mesocosms. In the laboratory, where the fish were exposed for 10 d, the 96-h LC50 values for bluegill sunfish and fathead minnows were 650 and 770 g/L, respectively. The no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) for survival and swimming performance of bluegill sunfish and for survival of fathead minnows was 160 g/L. The lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) for these toxic responses was 460 g/L. In the stream mesocosms, where the fish were exposed for 30 d, the NOEC for bluegill sunfish survival and growth was Ͼ330 g/L. The LOEC for fathead minnow survival was 330 g/L, and the NOEC was 280 g/L. Decreased egg laying by fathead minnows was noted in the streams at concentrations of 330 g/L or greater. Close correspondence between the results of laboratory tests and those obtained under field conditions in the mesocosms indicates that for this surfactant, it may not be necessary to apply ''safety factors'' to extrapolate results from the laboratory to the field.

The Effects of a C12–13 Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate Surfactant on Periphyton, Macrophytes, Invertebrates and Fish in Stream Mesocosms

“…Bluegill sunfish and fathead minnow survival were equally sensitive endpoints in this study. The lack of measurable growth effects was also previously reported in mesocosm studies with other LAE surfactants [31,33].…”

“…No significant reproductive effects were observed in fish exposed to the C 12-13 LAE. Previous mesocosm studies with similar LAE surfactants showed fathead minnow reproduction was a more sensitive endpoint than survival [31,33]. The lack of significant effects in this study was due to the low number of spawning broods and the shorter time period in which eggs were laid (2 weeks) in comparison to the previous studies (3 weeks).…”

“…Effects of the C 12-13 AE on fathead minnow survival occurred within the first few days of treatment. Kline et al [31] observed similar results with fathead minnow exposed to a C 14-15 AE surfactant. These results indicate that 10 d is sufficient time to observe LAE effects on fish survival, with the most pronounced effects occurring during the first 24 h of exposure, which was also observed by Macek and Krzeminski [32].…”

“…A similar effect of carbon chain length on surfactant toxicity can be seen in the fish data. The C 12-13 EO-6.5 surfactant used in this study was two to six times more toxic than C 9-11 EO-6 and two to three times less toxic than C 14-15 EO-7 to fathead minnow and bluegill sunfish (survival), respectively [31,33]. Results from this study provided further insight into the structure-activity relationships of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants.…”

Predictive Toxicity Models for Chemically Related Substances: A Case Study with Nonionic Alcohol Ethoxylate Surfactant

“…For instance, a stream mesocosm dosed with an AE (C9–11 EO6) resulted in comparable LC50 values between a 10‐d exposure of juvenile fathead minnows (5.76–7.17 mg/L) and a 30‐d exposure of adult individuals (4.45–6.68 mg/L; Harrelson et al 1997), but toxicity was marginally higher to larval stages (LC50 1.83–3.83 mg/L) in 10‐d flow‐through tests. A related study (AE C14–15 EO7; Kline et al 1996) also found comparable LC50 values between standard 96‐h laboratory and 10‐d stream mesocosm exposures for both bluegill sunfish (650 and 560 µg/L, respectively) and fathead minnows (770 and 690 µg/L, respectively). The comparability of toxicity test results among laboratory and stream mesocosms (i.e., acute vs chronic) has led to the suggestion of relying on laboratory exposures to predict effect concentrations of AEs for fish under field conditions (Lizotte et al 1999).…”