Sensitivity of an indigenous amphipod (Corophium colo) to chemical contaminants in laboratory toxicity tests conducted with sediments from Sydney Harbor, Australia, and vicinity

Abstract

Laboratory survival tests were conducted with an indigenous infaunal amphipod, Corophium colo, on 103 sediment samples from Sydney Harbor (NSW, Australia) and vicinity, containing a wide range of chemicals and concentrations. The present study describes the sensitivity of C. colo to the sediments and compares the results to data for North American amphipods (Rhepoxynius abronius and Ampelisca abdita) previously used to establish and validate sediment-quality guidelines (SQGs). The incidence of toxicity increased with increasing contamination, as indicated by increasing numbers of SQGs exceeded and increasing mean SQG quotients. The incidence of highly toxic results (p < 0.05 and mean amphipod survival of < 80% that of controls) for highly contaminated samples was approximately half (28-40%) that of a large U.S. database (74%). The incidence of highly toxic responses for samples with intermediate levels of contamination also was lower in the present study (5-13%) compared to the results in large U.S. studies (approximately 30-50%). Corophium colo reburial tests showed greater sensitivity compared to survival tests, with a maximum incidence of statistically significant responses in moderately contaminated sediments of 70%. The present study showed that adult Corophium organisms are suitable for testing lethal responses in highly contaminated sediments (i.e., with mean effects range-median quotients of >1.5). Reburial results provide additional sensitivity.

Persistent organic pollutants in sediments from the Lagoon of Venice—a possible hazard for sediment-dwelling organisms

“…Notwithstanding TOC is thought to influence the bioavailability of contaminants, as established by the equilibrium partitioning theory and laboratory bioassays (Di Toro et al 1991;Di Toro and McGrath 2000), it had a minimal effect on predictive abilities of SQGs, according to other previous studies (Ingersoll et al 2001;McCready et al 2005). As expected, since low variation range of TOC was measured, the effect of TOC normalization on predictive ability of SQGs used in the current study was minimal for the major part of the investigated sites.…”

Relationships Between Toxicity and Concentrations of Chemical Contaminants in Sediments from Sydney Harbour, Australia, and Vicinity

“…The amphipod species used in the current study, Corophium colo, constructs U-shaped burrows and may be less exposed to sediment contaminants than species with other living habits, such as, free burrowers. When data from the current and US studies were compared, Corophium colo appeared to be less responsive in survival tests to chemical mixtures in sediments than the US species that were used to establish and validate SQGs (McCready et al, 2005). For example, the incidence of high toxicity for highly contaminated samples with 10 or more ERM guidelines exceeded or mean ERM quotients >1.5 was about half (28-40%) that of the North American database (74%) (McCready et al, 2005).…”

“…When data from the current and US studies were compared, Corophium colo appeared to be less responsive in survival tests to chemical mixtures in sediments than the US species that were used to establish and validate SQGs (McCready et al, 2005). For example, the incidence of high toxicity for highly contaminated samples with 10 or more ERM guidelines exceeded or mean ERM quotients >1.5 was about half (28-40%) that of the North American database (74%) (McCready et al, 2005). The relative sensitivity of the sea urchin species used in the current study, Heliocidaris tuberculata, to sediment pore waters compared with other sea urchin species has not been evaluated.…”

“…Amphipod re-burial tests were conducted for 33 samples. Toxicity test methodologies have been described previously (McCready, 2004;McCready et al, 2004;McCready et al, 2005;Spyrakis, 2002) and were based on those used routinely in North America (Long et al, 1996b;Long, 2000).…”

Contaminant chemistry and toxicity of sediments in Sydney Harbour, Australia: spatial extent and chemistry–toxicity relationships

“…The use of SQGs allowed harbour sediments to be prioritised according to the risk of adverse biological effects and enabled careful stratification of different areas in Stage 2 of this study, before committing to costly, concurrent chemical-ecotoxicological analyses in Stage 3. The final stage was a spatial study using previously published data to test the applicability of sediment quality guidelines for Australian conditions (McCready et al 2004(McCready et al , 2005(McCready et al , 2006a.…”