Effects of Storage on Sediment Toxicity, Bioaccumulation Potential, and Chemistry
Abstract
Current guidance on storage of sediments for bioassay/bioaccumulation tests requires that samples be held at 4 C and used within 2 weeks of collection. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sediment storage for 40 weeks on sediment toxicity, bioaccumulation potential, and chemical analyses. Toxicity and bioaccumulation tests were conducted five times during 40 weeks of storage. Chemical analyses were performed three times during this period. The data indicate that sediments can be held for longer than 2 to 4 weeks, in many cases, without significant effect on test results. However, results of the study also show that tests performed at different times can produce different results. This study showed that a sediment that was toxic to mysids remained toxic during 16 weeks of sediment storage. Two sediments that were toxic initially continued to show significant toxicity after 8 and 16 weeks of sediment storage. One sediment, not toxic initially or at 4 weeks, changed during storage, becoming significantly toxic compared to the Atlantic Ocean (Ref) sediment. The bioaccumulation results showed that certain sediment contaminants (lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs), generally do not reveal a statistical change in bioaccumulation, relative to Ref animals, during 16 weeks of sediment storage. Other PAHs, including phenanthrene, anthracene, benzo (a) anthracene, and chrysene, did change in bioaccumulation potential during storage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA231515
Entities
People
- A. S. Jarvis
- Charles R. Lee
- Dennis L. Brandon
- Henry E. Tatem
- R. G. Rhett