| Water quality guidance for protection of freshwater mussels (Unionidae) from ammonia exposure. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 14587894 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Ammonia toxicity data for freshwater mussels (Unionidae), a significantly imperiled taxa, were used to derive estimates of concentrations that would not likely be harmful in acute and chronic exposures and to assess the protectiveness of current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) water quality criteria to this family of organisms. Thirty acute (24-96-h) median lethal concentrations (LC50s), covering 10 species in eight unionid genera, were used to calculate genus mean acute values (GMAVs) ranging from 2.56 to 8.97 mg/L total ammonia as N at pH 8. Freshwater mussels are at the sensitive end of the range when added to the GMAVs from the database used to derive the U.S. EPA criteria maximum concentration (CMC). We derived two estimates of acute exposure water quality guidance for the protection of freshwater mussels (CMC(FM)) by a recalculation of the CMC after adding freshwater mussel GMAVs to the U.S. EPA data set. The CMC(FM)s of 1.75 and 2.50 mg/L total ammonia as N at pH 8 average 60% less than the U.S. EPA CMC of 5.62 mg/L total ammonia as N at pH 8 for application when salmonids are present. These values average about 75% less than the CMC for application when salmonids are absent. No chronic ammonia exposure data existed for unionids. Thus, we applied a range of estimated acute:chronic ratios to the acute toxicity data set, expanded with the freshwater mussel GMAVs. to estimate continuous ammonia concentrations that may be protective of freshwater mussels. These estimates ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 mg/L total ammonia as N at pH 8, about 20 to 75% less than the U.S. EPA criteria continuous concentration (CCC) of 1.24 mg/L total ammonia as N at pH 8 and 25 degrees C. The current numeric criteria for ammonia may not be protective of mussels, more than half of whose nearly 300 species are in decline in North America. While the CMC(FM) and CCC(FM) are not equivalent to revised U.S. EPA criteria, they are offered as interim guidance for the protection of freshwater mussels. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Tom Augspurger; Anne E Keller; Marsha C Black; W Gregory Cope; F James Dwyer |
Related Documents
:
|
12767564 - Location of the appendix in the gravid patient: a re-evaluation of the established conc... 332324 - Consequences of acute myelogenous leukemia in early pregnancy. 12384854 - Human monocytic ehrlichiosis presenting as acute appendicitis during pregnancy. 978654 - Acute leukemia during reproductive life: its course, complications and sequelae for fer... 16257404 - Glucocorticoids of bison bulls in relation to social status. 12906064 - Estimation of genetic parameters for concentrations of milk urea nitrogen. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Environmental toxicology and chemistry / SETAC Volume: 22 ISSN: 0730-7268 ISO Abbreviation: Environ. Toxicol. Chem. Publication Date: 2003 Nov |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2003-10-31 Completed Date: 2004-02-10 Revised Date: 2007-11-15 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 8308958 Medline TA: Environ Toxicol Chem Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 2569-75 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 33726, Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726, USA. tom_augspurger@fws.gov |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Ammonia
/
standards*,
toxicity* Animals Bivalvia* Conservation of Natural Resources* Environment* Guidelines as Topic* Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Lethal Dose 50 Risk Assessment United States United States Environmental Protection Agency Water Pollutants / standards*, toxicity* |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Water Pollutants; 7664-41-7/Ammonia |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Effects of pore-water ammonia on in situ survival and growth of juvenile mussels (Lampsilis cardium)...
Next Document: Assessment of the mutagenic potency of sewage sludges contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocar...