The relationship of Irgarol and its major metabolite to resident phytoplankton communities in a Maryland marina, river and reference area.

The objectives of this study were to: (1) measure water column concentrations of Irgarol 1051 and its major metabolite GS26575 annually (2004-2006) during mid-June and mid-August at 14 sites in a study area comprised of three sub-regions chosen to reflect a gradient in Irgarol exposure (Port Annapolis marina, Severn River and Severn River reference area); (2) use a probabilistic approach to determine ecological risk of Irgarol and its major metabolite in the study area by comparing the distribution of exposure data with toxicity-effects endpoints; and (3) measure both functional and structural resident phytoplankton parameters concurrently with Irgarol and metabolite concentrations to assess relationships and determine ecological risk at six selected sites in the three study areas described above. The three-year summer mean Irgarol concentrations by site clearly showed a gradient in concentrations with greater values in Back Creek (400-500ng/L range), lower values in the Severn River sites near the confluence with Back Creek (generally values less than 100ng/L) and still lower values (<10ng/L) at the Severn River reference sites at the confluence with Chesapeake Bay. A similar spatial trend, but with much lower concentrations, was also reported for GS26575.

Ecological risk of Irgarol 1051 and its major metabolite in coastal California marinas and reference areas.

The objective of this study was to use a probabilistic approach to determine the ecological risk of Irgarol and its major metabolite (GS26575) in coastal California marinas and reference areas by using monitoring data collected during the summer of 2006. Distributions of environmental exposure data were compared with the distribution of plant species response data from laboratory toxicity studies and the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) from a microcosm study to quantify the likelihood and significance of ecological risk. Toxicity testing indicates plants are much more sensitive to Irgarol than animals; therefore, the conservative effects benchmark used to characterize risk was the plant 10th centile for both Irgarol (193 ng/L) and GS26575 (5622 ng/L).

Monitoring of Irgarol 1051 concentrations with concurrent phytoplankton evaluations in East Coast areas of the United States.

The objectives of this study were to measure: (1) Irgarol and GS26575 (major metabolite) during the peak 2004 boating season at selected marinas and reference areas in the Carolinian Zoogeographic Province of the Eastern United States; (2) Irgarol and GS26575 at selected stations during the summer months in the Back Creek/Severn River area in Maryland in 2003 and 2004; and (3) structural and functional characteristics of resident phytoplankton communities concurrently with Irgarol and GS26575 monitoring in Back Creek/Severn River area. Irgarol concentrations from 14 marinas in the Carolinian Province ranged from non-detectable (<1 ng/L) to 85 ng/L; concentrations were less than 16 ng/L at all reference sites. The probability of exceeding the plant 10th centile for Irgarol (251 ng/L) was less than 0.

An ecological risk assessment for the use of Irgarol 1051 as an algaecide for antifoulant paints.

Irgarol 1051 is an algaecide used in copper-based antifoulant paints for controlling fouling organisms on the hulls of recreational and commercial watercraft. Paints containing this algaecide have been used in Europe since the mid-1980s. In 1998, the first antifouling paints containing Irgarol 1051 were registered for use in the U.