A model describing the time course and variability in toxicity of hydrophobic chemicals to aquatic organisms

Abstract

The growth of Chlorella marine, Nannochloris oculate, Pyramimonaos sp., Platymonas subcordiformis and Phaeodactylum tricornutum exposed to chlorobenzene, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene was tested. The Boltzman equation was used to describe organism growth. The time course for uptake of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) by aquatic organisms was expressed by incorporating growth and, if desired, the effect of metabolism into the HOC bioconcentration process. The probability of any given concentration of HOCs in the organisms causing a specified toxic endpoint was expressed with a modified Weibull distribution function. The combined bioconcentration and probability equations were tested with data for time course of incubation of algae exposed to chlorinated benzenes (CBs). A set of parameters, including the uptake rate constant k 1, the elimination rate constant k 2 and thereafter the bioconcentration factor on a dry weight basis, BCF D, the critical HOC concentration in the organism resulting in a specified toxic endpoint, C A * , and the spread factor, S, could be obtained by fitting only experimental data for percent growth inhibition(%)-time-CB exposure concentration. The average coefficients of variation within CBs were 15.2% for BCF D, 21.0% for k 1, 18.3% for k 2, 8.1% for C A * and 9.7% for S. The variability in toxicity (such as EC10, EC50, EC90) derived from the model equations agreed well with those experimentally observed.