Toxicity to Daphnia pulex and QSAR predictions for polycyclic hydrocarbons representative of Great Lakes contaminants.

Abstract

aromatic hydrocarbons are largely from fossil fuels; whereas related polycyclic hydrocarbons, especially those with bridged structures characteristic of sesquiterpene s, may be from natural plant products and from pulp mills. Extracts of environmental samples containing these compounds have been shown to be associated with formation of neoplasms in fish (Fabacher et al 1991). Relatively little is known about the toxicity to fish and invertebrates of many of these compounds that are detected in Great Lakes samples. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the toxicity of several types of polycyclic hydrocarbons characteristic of Great Lakes samples to Daphnia pulex, a Great Lakes zooplankter, (2) to investigate the influence of different structural characteristics on toxicity, and (3) to determine the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) parameters and model that describe these compounds. These results will be related to comparative toxicity of other Great Lakes environmental compounds and to their application in site specific risk assessment.