Selenium toxicity to survival and reproduction of Collembola and Enchytraeids in a sandy loam soil.

We investigated the toxicity of selenium (Se) to the soil invertebrates Folsomia candida (Collembola) and Enchytraeus crypticus (potworm). Studies were designed to generate ecotoxicological benchmarks for developing ecological soil screening levels (Eco-SSLs) for risk assessments of contaminated soils. For the present studies, we selected Sassafras sandy loam, an aerobic upland soil with soil characteristics (low levels of clay and organic matter, soil pH adjusted from 5.

Soil properties affect the toxicities of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) to the enchytraeid worm Enchytraeus crypticus.

The authors investigated individual toxicities of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) to the potworm Enchytraeus crypticus using the enchytraeid reproduction test. Studies were designed to generate ecotoxicological benchmarks that can be used for developing ecological soil-screening levels for ecological risk assessments of contaminated soils and to identify and characterize the predominant soil physicochemical parameters that can affect the toxicities of TNT and RDX to E. crypticus.

Toxicological responses of red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exposed to aged and amended soils containing lead.

The use of lead in military and civilian small arms projectiles is widely acknowledged to have resulted in high soil lead concentrations at many small arms ranges. These ranges are often adjacent to wildlife habitat or have become habitat when no longer used. To assess the potential toxicity of lead to terrestrial amphibians in contaminated areas, we exposed 100 red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) to either a control soil or one of four soil treatments amended with lead acetate for 28 days.

Toxicological responses of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) to soil exposures of copper.

Copper (Cu) has widespread military use in munitions and small arms, particularly as a protective jacket for lead projectiles. The distribution of Cu at many US military sites is substantial and sites of contamination include habitats in and around military storage facilities, manufacturing, load and packing plants, open burning/open detonation areas, and firing ranges. Some of these areas include habitat for amphibian species, which generally lack toxicity data for risk assessment purposes.

Toxicities of dinitrotoluenes and trinitrobenzene freshly amended or weathered and aged in a sandy loam soil to Enchytraeus crypticus.

Scientifically based ecological soil-screening levels are needed to identify concentrations of contaminant energetic materials (EMs) in soil that present an acceptable ecological risk at a wide range of military installations. Insufficient information regarding the toxicity of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) to soil invertebrates necessitated toxicity testing. We adapted the standardized Enchytraeid Reproduction Test (International Standardization Organization 16387:2003) and selected Enchytraeus crypticus for these studies.

Toxicity benchmarks for antimony, barium, and beryllium determined using reproduction endpoints for Folsomia candida, Eisenia fetida, and Enchytraeus crypticus.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is developing ecological soil screening levels (Eco-SSLs) for the ecological risk assessment of contaminants at Superfund sites.

Weathering and aging of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in soil increases toxicity to potworm Enchytraeus crypticus.

Energetic materials are employed in a wide range of commercial and military activities and often are released into the environment. Scientifically based ecological soil-screening levels (Eco-SSLs) are needed to identify contaminant explosive levels in soil that present an acceptable ecological risk. Insufficient information for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) to generate Eco-SSLs for soil invertebrates necessitated toxicity testing.

Toxicity of emerging energetic soil contaminant CL-20 to potworm Enchytraeus crypticus in freshly amended or weathered and aged treatments.

We investigated the toxicity of an emerging polynitramine energetic material hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) to the soil invertebrate species Enchytraeus crypticus by adapting then using the Enchytraeid Reproduction Test (ISO/16387:2003). Studies were designed to develop ecotoxicological benchmark values for ecological risk assessment of the potential impacts of accidental release of this compound into the environment. Tests were conducted in Sassafras Sandy Loam soil, which supports relatively high bioavailability of CL-20.