The toxicity of several oil-spill removers to some species of fish and shellfish

Abstract

Increasing quantities of crude oil and oil products are now being transported by sea, and this has resulted in a greater risk of oil pollution of coastal waters and has increased the dangers to marine life and amenities. With this increase in oil pollution have come various methods of treatment, among the more successful of which have been the so-called oil-spill removers or detergents. The toxicity of 12 of these materials, more accurately known as solvent emulsifiers, was examined, using 4 marine species of shellfish. Using 2 of these test species the toxicities of 3 solvent emulsifiers were examined in more detail, particular attention being paid to the time of exposure at different concentrations required to cause death. The effect of crude oil mixed with these 3 materials was also examined. Details are also given of some preliminary experiments with solvent emulsifiers on larvae of the shore crab (Carcinus maenas) and the brown shrimp (Crangon crangon).