Toxicity evaluation of Louisiana nearshore marsh sediments following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A crucial step towards understanding potential impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to marsh ecosystems was to quantitatively determine the toxicity of oil remaining in the sediment. The objective of this study was to assess the potential injury to benthic species using standardized toxicity bioassays. Sediments were collected from locations with differing degrees of oiling based on previous assessments.

An Evaluation of Select Test Variables Potentially Affecting Acute Oil Toxicity.

In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon incident (2010) in the Gulf of Mexico, an abundance of research studies have been performed, but the methodologies used have varied making comparisons and replication difficult. In this study, acute toxicity tests with mysids and inland silversides were performed to examine the effect of different variables on test results. The toxicity test variables evaluated in this study included (1) open versus closed static test chambers, (2) natural versus artificial diluent, (3) aerated versus nonaerated test solution, and (4) low versus medium energy water-accommodated (WAF) mixing energies.

Seasonal availability and sensitivity of two field-collected mayflies for the development of a standardized toxicity test.

Ecologically relevant toxicity tests may provide the best protection of sensitive aquatic fauna, but without established culturing or test methodology for such organisms, results may be unreliable and difficult to repeat. Further, field-collected organisms may not be feasible for routine testing purposes, as often required for permitted discharges. This study examined the feasibility of testing two field-collected mayflies, Isonychia bicolor and Maccaffertium spp.

Preliminary results of laboratory toxicity tests with the mayfly, Isonychia bicolor (Ephemeroptera: Isonychiidae) for development as a standard test organism for evaluating streams in the Appalachian coalfields of Virginia and West Virginia.

Selecting the most appropriate test species for sediment and water column assays has been a primary goal for ecotoxicologists. Standard test organisms and established test guidelines exist, but the USEPA-recommended species may not be the most sensitive organisms to anthropogenic inputs. This paper describes preliminary results of toxicity tests with the mayfly, Isonychia bicolor (Ephemeroptera).