Effects of Temperature and Salinity on Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) Toxicity in Larval Estuarine Organisms.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a persistent contaminant that has been found globally within the environment. Key data gaps exist in the toxicity of PFOS to marine organisms, especially estuarine species that are crucial to the food web: fish, shrimp, and mollusks. This study developed toxicity thresholds for larval estuarine species, including grass shrimp (), sheepshead minnows (), mysids (), and Eastern mud snails ().

Mixture Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances on Embryonic and Larval Sheepshead Minnows ().

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants originating from many everyday products. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two PFAS that are commonly found at high concentrations in aquatic environments. Both chemicals have previously been shown to be toxic to fish, as well as having complex and largely uncharacterized mixture effects.

Multi-stressor Effects of Ultraviolet Light, Temperature, and Salinity on Louisiana Sweet Crude Oil Toxicity in Larval Estuarine Organisms.

When oil is spilled into the environment its toxicity is affected by abiotic conditions. The cumulative and interactive stressors of chemical contaminants and environmental factors are especially relevant in estuaries where tidal fluctuations cause wide variability in salinity, temperature, and ultraviolet (UV) light penetration, which is an important modifying factor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) toxicity. Characterizing the interactions of multiple stressors on oil toxicity will improve prediction of environmental impacts under various spill scenarios.

Uptake and Biological Effects of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Exposure in the Adult Eastern Oyster Crassostrea virginica.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a legacy contaminant that has been detected globally within the environment and throughout numerous species, including humans. Despite an international ban on its use, this unique contaminant continues to persist in organisms and their surroundings due to PFOS's inability to breakdown into nontoxic forms resulting in bioaccumulation. In this study, we analyzed the effects of a technical mixture of PFOS (linear and branched isomers) in the adult Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, at 2 days and 7 days exposure.

Developmental and reproductive effects in grass shrimp (Palaemon pugio) following acute larval exposure to a thin oil sheen and ultraviolet light.

Many early stages of estuarine species congregate at the surface or in the upper mixing layer making them prone to UV light exposure and oil sheens. Laboratory testing was used to assess UV-oil sheen interactions with grass shrimp (Palaemon pugio). Newly hatched grass shrimp larvae were exposed to a 1-μm thick oil sheen for 24 h with or without an 8-h pulse of UV light.

Toxicity comparison of the shoreline cleaners Accell Clean® and PES-51® in two life stages of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio.

Oil spills are a significant source of coastal pollution. Shoreline cleaners, used to remove oil from surfaces during spill response and remediation, may also act as toxins. Adult and larval grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, were tested for lethal and sublethal impacts from two shoreline cleaners, Accell Clean SWA® and PES-51®, alone and in combination with crude oil using Chemically Enhanced Water Accommodated Fractions (CEWAFs).

Effects of salinity on oil dispersant toxicity in the eastern mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta.

Chemical dispersants can be a beneficial method for breaking up oil slicks; however, their use in mitigation could pose potential toxic effects on the marine ecosystem. Dispersants may be transported to lower salinity habitats, where toxicity data for aquatic species have not been established. This study examined the effect of salinity on oil dispersant toxicity in the eastern mud snail, Ilyanassa obsoleta, using two dispersants authorized for oil spill response, Corexit® 9500A and Finasol® OSR 52.

Toxicity of oil and dispersant on the deep water gorgonian octocoral Swiftia exserta, with implications for the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Benthic surveys of mesophotic reefs in the Gulf of Mexico post Deepwater Horizon (DWH) showed that Swiftia exserta octocorals exhibited significantly more injury than in years before the spill. To determine the vulnerability of S. exserta to oil and dispersants, 96h toxicity assays of surrogate DWH oil water-accommodated fractions (WAF), Corexit® 9500 dispersant, and the combination of both (CEWAF) were conducted in the laboratory.

Individual and mixture effects of caffeine and sulfamethoxazole on the daggerblade grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio following maternal exposure.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) such as caffeine and sulfamethoxazole have been detected in the estuarine environment. The present study characterized effects of a maternal exposure of these compounds on the development of the daggerblade grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio from embryo to juvenile life stage. Ovigerous females were exposed to either caffeine (20 mg/L), sulfamethoxazole (60 mg/L), or a mixture of both (20 mg/L caffeine and 60 mg/L sulfamethoxazole).

Comparative toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides to two estuarine crustacean species, Americamysis bahia and Palaemonetes pugio.

Pyrethroid insecticides are widely used on agricultural crops, as well as for nurseries, golf courses, urban structural and landscaping sites, residential home and garden pest control, and mosquito abatement. Evaluation of sensitive marine and estuarine species is essential for the development of toxicity testing and risk-assessment protocols. Two estuarine crustacean species, Americamysis bahia (mysids) and Palaemonetes pugio (grass shrimp), were tested with the commonly used pyrethroid compounds, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and phenothrin.

Comparative risk assessment of permethrin, chlorothalonil, and diuron to coastal aquatic species.

The precise application of risk assessment can lead to different conclusions about risk depending on how species are grouped in the assessment. We compared the use of different risk assessment methods for three different classes of pesticide, the herbicide diuron, the fungicide chlorothalonil, and the insecticide permethrin for marine and estuarine species. Permethrin was the most toxic pesticide to marine and estuarine crustaceans.

Effects of the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, permethrin, on two estuarine fish species.

Limited toxicity data are available for estuarine and marine species and the widely used pyrethroid insecticide, permethrin. This study determined acute effects of permethrin on survival, lipid peroxidation, acetylcholinesterase activity, and splenocyte proliferation for two fish species found in South Carolina estuaries; juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and adult mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). Juvenile S.

Influence of increasing temperature and salinity on herbicide toxicity in estuarine phytoplankton.

Ecological risk assessments are, in part, based on results of toxicity tests conducted under standard exposure conditions. Global climate change will have a wide range of effects on estuarine habitats, including potentially increasing water temperature and salinity, which may alter the risk assessment of estuarine pollutants. We examined the effects of increasing temperature and salinity on the toxicity of common herbicides (irgarol, diuron, atrazine, and ametryn) to the phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta.

Toxicity of the mosquito control insecticide phenothrin to three life stages of the grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio).

Phenothrin is a synthetic pyrethroid used as a contact insecticide in mosquito control programs. This study compared the toxicity of phenothrin to adult, larval and embryonic grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) and examined oxidative stress responses in adult and larval grass shrimp. The adult 24-h LC50 was 0.

A long-term monitoring study of chlorophyll, microbial contaminants, and pesticides in a coastal residential stormwater pond and its adjacent tidal creek.

Stormwater ponds are commonly used in residential and commercial areas to control flooding. The accumulation of urban contaminants in stormwater ponds can lead to water-quality problems including nutrient enrichment, chemical contamination, and bacterial contamination. This study presents 5 years of monitoring data assessing water quality of a residential subdivision pond and adjacent tidal creek in coastal South Carolina, USA.

Toxicity of the insecticide etofenprox to three life stages of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio.

Opportunities for environmental contamination by the insecticide etofenprox are increasing as its uses expand from primarily indoor residential to rice cultivation and mosquito control. To provide toxicity data for sensitive saltwater species, effects of etofenprox were assessed using three life stages of the estuarine grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio. Adults, larvae, and embryos were tested in aqueous exposures, while adults and larval shrimp were also tested in the presence of sediment.

Temperature and salinity effects on the toxicity of common pesticides to the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio.

This study investigated the effects of increased temperature and salinity, two potential impacts of global climate change, on the toxicity of two common pesticides to the estuarine grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio. Larval and adult grass shrimp were exposed to the fungicide chlorothalonil and the insecticide Scourge under standard toxicity test conditions, a 10 degrees C increase in temperature, a 10 ppt increase in salinity, and a combined increased temperature and salinity exposure. Toxicity of the fungicide chlorothalonil increased with temperature and salinity.

Descriptive and mechanistic toxicity of conazole fungicides using the model test alga Dunaliella tertiolecta (Chlorophyceae).

Conazole fungicides are commonly used to prevent fungal growth on turf grass and agricultural crops. As many of these sites are adjacent to coastal waterways and estuaries, there exists the potential for nontarget effects of runoff on marine organisms. This study reports 96 h EC(50) values for four selected conazole fungicides (triadimefon = 5.

Lethal and sublethal toxicity of the antifoulant compound Irgarol 1051 to the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta.

Irgarol 1051 is an algistatic compound used in copper-based antifoulant paints. It is a widespread and persistent pollutant of the estuarine environment. Ilyanassa obsoleta, the Eastern mud snail, is a common intertidal gastropod that inhabits mud flats and salt marshes along the east coast of North America.

Individual and mixture effects of selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products on the marine phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) entering the environment may have detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. Simvastatin, clofibric acid, diclofenac, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and triclosan represent some of the most commonly used and/or detected PPCPs in aquatic environments. This study analyzed the individual and mixture toxicity of these six PPCPs to the marine phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta using a standard 96-hour static algal bioassay protocol.

Toxicity of fipronil and its enantiomers to marine and freshwater non-targets.

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide used in agricultural and domestic settings for controlling various insect pests in crops, lawns, and residential structures. Fipronil is chiral; however, it is released into the environment as a racemic mixture of two enantiomers. In this study, the acute toxicity of the (S,+) and (R,-) enantiomers and the racemic mixture of fipronil were assessed using Simulium vittatum IS-7 (black fly), Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog), Procambarus clarkii (crayfish), Palaemonetes pugio (grass shrimp), Mercenaria mercenaria (hardshell clam), and Dunaliella tertiolecta (phytoplankton).

Water quality and restoration in a coastal subdivision stormwater pond.

Stormwater ponds are commonly used in residential and commercial areas to control flooding. The accumulation of urban contaminants in stormwater ponds can lead to a number of water quality problems including high nutrient, chemical contaminant, and bacterial levels. This study examined the interaction between land use and coastal pond water quality in a South Carolina residential subdivision pond.

Mixture toxicity of the antifouling compound irgarol to the marine phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta.

This study examined the toxicity of irgarol, individually and in binary mixtures with three other pesticides (the fungicide chlorothalonil, and the herbicides atrazine and 2,4-D), to the marine phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta. Standard 96-h static algal bioassays were used to determine pesticide effects on population growth rate. Irgarol significantly inhibited D.

Atrazine effects on meiobenthic assemblages of a modular estuarine mesocosm.

Atrazine is a widely used herbicide in the US found at levels ranging from <10 ng/L to 62.5 microg/L in estuaries throughout the southeast. Effects of atrazine on estuarine meiobenthic assemblages chronically exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations are unknown.