Novel Reproduction Toxicity Test Method for Hyalella azteca Using Sexually Mature Amphipods Provides More Robust Data Than Standard Methods in Exposures to Imidacloprid.

Hyalella azteca is an epibenthic crustacean used in ecotoxicology, but there are challenges associated with standard methods using reproduction as an endpoint. A novel, 28-day reproduction toxicity test method for H. azteca was created to address these issues by initiating tests with sexually mature amphipods to eliminate the confounding effects of growth, using a sex ratio of seven females to three males to reduce reproductive variability, and conducting tests in water-only conditions to make recovery of juveniles easier and expand testing capabilities to water-soluble compounds.

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in chronic tests with Hyalella azteca (amphipod) and early-life stage tests with Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow).

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), are industrial chemicals that are of concern due to their environmental presence, persistence, bioaccumulative potential, toxicity, and capacity for long-range transport. Despite a large body of research on environmental exposure, insufficient chronic aquatic toxicity data exist to develop water quality targets for clean-up of federal contaminated sites in Canada. Thus, our objective was to assess the aqueous toxicity of PFOA in chronic tests with Hyalella azteca (amphipod) and early-life stage tests with Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow).

Development of a Reduced-Volume Acute Lethality Toxicity Test for Hyalella azteca.

Effects-directed analysis (EDA) is used to identify the principal toxic components within a complex mixture using iterative steps of chemical fractionation guided by bioassay results. Bioassay selection can be limited in EDA because of the volume requirements for many standardized test methods, and therefore, a reduced-volume acute toxicity test that also provides whole-organism responses is beneficial. To address this need, a static, 7-d, water-only, reduced-volume method (50 mL, 10 organisms) was developed for Hyalella azteca that substantially decreases the volume requirements of standard-volume acute test exposures (200-500 mL of test solution, 15-20 organisms) while maintaining water quality and meeting control survival criteria.

Toxicity of the pharmaceuticals finasteride and melengestrol acetate to benthic invertebrates.

The toxicity of endocrinologically active pharmaceuticals finasteride (FIN) and melengestrol acetate (MGA) was assessed in freshwater mussels, including acute (48 h) aqueous tests with glochidia from Lampsilis siliquoidea, sub-chronic (14 days) sediment tests with gravid female Lampsilis fasciola, and chronic (28 days) sediment tests with juvenile L. siliquoidea, and in chronic (42 days) sediment tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the mayfly Hexagenia spp. Finasteride was not toxic in acute aqueous tests with L.

Acute and chronic toxicity of neonicotinoid and butenolide insecticides to the freshwater amphipod, Hyalella azteca.

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world. They are preferentially toxic to insects while displaying a low toxicity toward vertebrates, and this selective toxicity has resulted in the rapid and ubiquitous use of these compounds. However, neonicotinoids have been detected in agricultural surface waters and are known to cause adverse effects in non-target aquatic organisms.

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of neonicotinoid and butenolide insecticides to the mayfly, Hexagenia spp.

Neonicotinoid insecticides are environmentally persistent and highly water-soluble, and thus are prone to leaching into surface waters where they may negatively affect non-target aquatic insects. Most of the research to date has focused on imidacloprid, and few data are available regarding the effects of other neonicotinoids or their proposed replacements (butenolide insecticides). The objective of this study was to assess the toxicity of six neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, and dinotefuran) and one butenolide (flupyradifurone) to Hexagenia spp.