Midge Chironomus Tentans Research Articles

Analysis of the extranucleolar ribonucleoprotein particles of Cycas revoluta Thunb. (Cycadaceae) and Ceratozamia mexicana Brongn. (Zamiaceae)

Background: Nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles play a key role in RNA processing and in the gene expression pathway. Interchromatin granules (GICs) involved in the metabolism of pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) were described in Allium cepa and Chiranthodendron pentadactylon . Other particles as Lacandonia granules (LGs) were found in Lacandonia schismatica as well as Ginkgo biloba and Welwitschia mirabilis . LGs are structures equivalent to perichromatin granules (PCGs) described in mammals and to Balbiani ring granules (BRGs) described in the midge Chironomus tentans . PCGs and BRGs are involved in the metabolism of messenger RNA (mRNA). Here, we analyze the extranucleolar particles from Cycas revoluta and Ceratozamia mexicana and compare them to GICs and LGs using conventional electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.
 Species study: Cycas revoluta (Cycadaceae) and Ceratozamia mexicana (Zamiaceae)
 Hypothesis: The extranucleolar ribonucleoprotein particles in the nuclei of C. revoluta and C. mexicana are equivalent to GICs or GLs.
 Methods: Fragments of young leaves of C. revoluta and C. mexicana were processed for standard transmission electron microscopy. Thin sections were stained with the EDTA technique preferential for ribonucleoproteins and osmium amine specific for DNA. From the semithin sections the samples were studied with the AFM and images of them were obtained.
 Results: Ribonucleoprotein particles 32 nm in diameter are present in the interchromatin and perichromatin space in C. revoluta and C. mexicana .
 Conclusion: Ribonucleoprotein particles present in the cell nuclei of C. mexicana and C. revoluta are ultrastructurally equivalent to LGs .
 
 
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An environmentally relevant concentration of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles induces morphological changes in the mouthparts of Chironomus tentans

The present study was carried out in order to assess the influence of environmentally relevant concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles (E171 human food grade) toxicity on the freshwater midge Chironomus tentans. Tested concentrations were 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg of E171 TiO2 per 1 kg of sediment, for the experiment aiming at life trait toxicity observation; and 2.5, 25 and 250 mg of E171 TiO2 per 1 kg of sediment for the experiment aiming at mouthpart deformity observation. The experimental design was constructed for the sediment dwelling chironomid larvae according to OECD guidelines. For the first time, a geometric morphometric approach was used to assess the deformities in chironomid larvae as sublethal implications of nanoparticle exposure. The present study showed a concentration–response relationship between the TiO2 concentration in the substrate and the TiO2 intake. The mortality and emergence ratio was affected at concentrations >1000 mg/kg. Geometric Morphometrics revealed the tendency of the mentum teeth to narrow and elongate and the mandibles to widen, as well as the loss of the first inner tooth, with a TiO2 concentration rise. The variability of morphological changes observed in the mouthparts indicates that C. tentans could be used as a bioindicator in nano-TiO2 monitoring.

Cytochrome P450 genes from the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans: Atrazine-induced up-regulation of CtCYP6EX3 enhanced the toxicity of chlorpyrifos

The open reading frames of 19 cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) genes were sequenced from Chironomus tentans, a commonly used freshwater invertebrate model. Phylogenetic analysis of the 19 CYPs along with a previously reported CYP (CtCYP4G33) revealed that they belong to three different clans, including 3 in CYP4, 15 in CYP3, and 2 in mitochondria clan. When third-instar larvae were exposed to atrazine at 5000 μg/L, the transcription of CtCYP6EX3, CtCYP6EV3, CtCYP9AT1 and CtCYPEX1 was significantly up-regulated. To examine whether CtCYP6EX3 played a role in oxidative activation of chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-oxon, we evaluated larval susceptibility to chlorpyrifos after CtCYP6EX3 transcript was suppressed by RNAi. The larvae fed chitosan/dsCtCYP6EX3 nanoparticles showed a significantly decreased CtCYP6EX3 transcript (53.1%) as compared with the control larvae fed chitosan/dsGFP nanoparticles. When the CtCYP6EX3-silenced larvae were exposed to chlorpyrifos at 6 μg/L or its binary mixture with atrazine (chlorpyrifos at 3 μg/L and atrazine at 1000 μg/L), the larvae became less susceptible to the pesticides as their mortalities decreased by 24.1% and 20.5%, respectively. These results along with our previous findings suggested that the increased toxicity of chlorpyrifos was likely due to an enhanced oxidative process from chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-oxon by CtCYP6EX3 as RNAi of CtCYP6EX3 led to decreased susceptibility of C. tentans larvae to chlorpyrifos alone and the binary mixture of atrazine and chlorpyrifos. However, further study would be necessary to validate our results by functional assays using heterologously expressed CtCYP6EX3 enzyme.

Bioassay-directed identification of toxicants in sediments of Liaohe River, northeast China

Contaminants accumulated in sediments may directly harm benthic organisms, however, the specific contaminants responsible for adverse effects have been poorly described. In this study, a bioassay-directed analysis combined with toxicity tests and chemistry analysis was conducted to determine the compounds eliciting the greatest toxicological effect in the sediments in Liaohe River, northeast China. A total of 24 sediment samples were examined to determine their acute toxicity to midge Chironomus tentans (C. tentans). Of these samples, 15 exhibited significant toxicity, with a mortality of 23%–93% (p < 0.05). Numerous contaminants, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 32 polychlorinated biphenyls, 20 organochlorine pesticides, 6 organophosphate pesticides, 8 pyrethroids, and 5 heavy metals were analyzed. On the basis of toxic unit (TU) analysis results, pyrethroids may contribute to the toxicity of 9 of the 15 toxic samples with concentrations of >1 TU. The significant correlation between the TUs of pyrethroids and the mortality of C. tentans (r2 = 0.74, p < 0.01) confirmed the major role of pyrethroids in toxicity. The selected sediment samples responding to piperonyl butoxide and low temperature with the increased toxicity exhibited the characteristics of pyrethroids. The bioassay-based screening framework provided strong evidence that pyrethroids were the primary cause of sediment toxicity in Liaohe River. Further studies should therefore be conducted to regulate this important class of pollutants.

Uranium uptake and depuration in the aquatic invertebrate Chironomus tentans

Evaluation of aqueous uranium (U) uptake and depuration in larvae of the midge Chironomus tentans were investigated in two separated experiments. First, a static-renewal experiment was performed with 10-d old C. tentans larvae exposed to 300 μg U/L. The animals steadily accumulated U ( K u = 20.3) approaching steady-state conditions (BAF = 56) in approximately 9–11 d. However, accumulated U was readily depurated ( K d = 0.36) with U tissue concentration decreasing rapidly within 3 d of the larvae being placed in clean water ( t 1/2 = 1.9 d). Also, the growth of C. tentans larvae appeared to decrease after 6–11 d of U exposure, probably due to the reallocation of resources into U detoxification mechanisms. However, growth significantly increased once C. tentans were transferred to clean water. A separate short-term experiment was performed to evaluate the possible mechanism of U uptake in this invertebrate. Results suggested a passive mechanism of U uptake coupled with an active mechanism of U depuration but no details related to the type of mechanisms or pathway was investigated.

Chronic toxicity of the synthetic hormone 17α‐Ethinylestradiol to Chironomus tentans and Hyalella azteca

The chronic toxicity of the synthetic hormone 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) was investigated in two benthic invertebrates, the midge Chironomus tentans and the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca, in life-cycle water-only assays. In C. tentans, a 50% decrease in emergence was observed at a concentration of 1.5 mg/L; emergence was a more sensitive endpoint than survival, growth, or biomass. Reproduction was not significantly affected by EE2 exposure until a concentration of 3.1 mg/L, where emergence, and therefore reproduction, did not occur. In contrast, reproduction was the most sensitive endpoint in H. azteca (50% decrease in reproduction observed at a concentration of 0.36 mg/L). The sensitivity of the F1 generation to EE2 was also investigated with H. azteca, but was not different from the F0 generation. The data from the present study were combined with those from previous 10-d toxicity assays, to derive acute to chronic toxicity ratios (ACRs) for EE2. The ACRs calculated for EE2 were 13 for C. tentans and 16 for H. azteca, indicating that the application factors currently used in ecological risk assessment for the derivation of chronic toxicity are protective and conservative for these organisms. The results of the present study suggest that chronic toxicity was not mediated by disruption of endocrine pathways. Using a hazard quotient approach, the risk associated with sublethal exposure to EE2 was <<1 for H. azteca and C. tentans, indicating that adverse effects are not expected, and that environmental exposure to EE2 likely poses a low risk to benthic invertebrates.

Toxicity of human pharmaceuticals and personal care products to benthic invertebrates

Despite concerns about potential risks associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment, few toxicological data address the effects of these compounds. In aquatic systems, which often represent the final repository for PPCPs, increasing toxicological information regarding aquatic biota is improving our capacity to assess potential risks. However, responses of key biota, such as benthic invertebrates, have not been investigated as widely. In the present study, we examined the toxicity of four PPCPs -- the lipid regulator atorvastatin (ATO), the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ), the synthetic hormone 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE(2)), and the antimicrobial triclosan (TCS) -- to the midge Chironomus tentans and the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca in 10-d waterborne exposures. The toxicity of the four compounds varied between 0.20 and 47.3 mg/L (median lethal concentration), with a relative toxicity ranking of TCS > EE(2) > ATO > CBZ. Hyalella azteca was more sensitive than C. tentans to these compounds. The toxicity data were used in a hazard quotient approach to evaluate the risk posed by the four PPCPs to benthic invertebrates and other aquatic organisms. For each compound, a hazard quotient was calculated by dividing the lowest toxicity value by the highest exposure value found in the literature, to which an uncertainty factor was applied. With hazard quotients of 3.55 to 11.5, we conclude that potential risks exist toward benthic invertebrates for the toxicity of TCS and CBZ and that further investigations of these compounds are required to characterize more completely the risks to benthic organisms. In contrast, our data also indicate that considering the low concentrations currently detected in the environment, ATO and EE(2) pose negligible risks to benthic invertebrates.

Effects of acid‐volatile sulfide on metal bioavailability and toxicity to midge (Chironomus tentans) larvae in black shale sediments

Metal bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic organisms are greatly affected by variables such as pH, hardness, organic matter, and sediment acid-volatile sulfide (AVS). Sediment AVS, which reduces metal bioavailability and toxicity by binding and immobilizing metals as insoluble sulfides, has been studied intensely in recent years. Few studies, however, have determined the spatial variability of AVS and its interaction with simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in sediments containing elevated concentrations of metals resulting from natural geochemical processes, such as weathering of black shales. We collected four sediment samples from each of four headwater bedrock streams in northcentral Arkansa (USA; three black shale-draining streams and one limestone-draining stream). We conducted 10-d acute whole-sediment toxicity tests using the midge Chironomus tentans and performed analyses for AVS, total metals, SEMs, and organic carbon. Most of the sediments from shale-draining streams had similar total metal and SEM concentrations but considerable differences in organic carbon and AVS. Zinc was the leading contributor to the SEM molar sum, averaging between 68 and 74%, whereas lead and cadmium contributed less than 3%. The AVS concentration was very low in all but two samples from one of the shale streams, and the sum of the SEM concentrations was in molar excess of AVS for all shale stream sediments. No significant differences in mean AVS concentrations between sediments collected from shale-draining or limestone-draining sites were noted (p > 0.05). Midge survival and growth in black shale-derived sediments were significantly less (p < 0.001) than that of limestone-derived sediments. On the whole, either SEM alone or SEM-AVS explained the total variation in midge survival and growth about equally well. However, survival and growth were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the two sediment samples that contained measurable AVS compared with the two sediments from the same stream that contained negligible AVS.

Sublethal Effects of Three Pesticides on Activities of Selected Target and Detoxification Enzymes in the Aquatic Midge, Chironomus tentans (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Sublethal effects of three pesticides including atrazine (triazine herbicide), DDT (organochlorinated insecticide), and chlorpyrifos (organophosphate insecticide) on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), general esterase (GE), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450) activities were evaluated in the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans. Exposures of midges to atrazine at 30 and 150 micrograms per liter (microg/L) for 20 d (i.e., from the first- to fourth-instar larvae) enhanced P450 O-deethylation activity by 12.5- and 15.5-fold, respectively, but did not significantly change AChE, GST, and GE activities. Similar exposures to DDT at 0.01 and 0.05 microg/L did not significantly affect AChE, GE, and P450 activities; however, DDT at 0.05 microg/L enhanced GST activity toward the substrate 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene by 33.6%. Exposures of midges to chlorpyrifos at 0.10 microg/L for 20 d reduced AChE activity by 59.8%, and GE activities toward the substrates alpha-naphthyl acetate and beta-naphthyl acetate by 30.7 and 48.8%, respectively. The reduced GE activities appear to be due to the inhibition of several esterases, particularly the one with a slow migration, by chlorpyrifos as demonstrated by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, exposure of midges to chlorpyrifos at 0.10 microg/L for 20 d enhanced the P450 O-deethylation activity by 3.3-fold although no significant effect was observed at 0.02 microg/L for the same enzyme. These results provide insights into the sublethal effects of these commonly detected pesticides in aquatic environments on important enzymes in aquatic midges.

Expression of heat shock protein and hemoglobin genes in Chironomus tentans (Diptera, chironomidae) larvae exposed to various environmental pollutants: A potential biomarker of freshwater monitoring

To identify a sensitive biomarker of freshwater monitoring, we evaluated pollutant-induced expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and hemoglobins (Hbs) genes in the larvae of the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans (Diptera, Chironomidae). As pollutants, we examined nonylphenol, bisphenol-A, 17α-ethynyl estradiol, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, endosulfan, paraquat dichloride, chloropyriphos, fenitrothion, cadmium chloride, lead nitrate, potassium dichromate, benzo[ a]pyrene and carbon tetrachloride. We also investigated larval growth as a physiological descriptor by measuring changes in the body fresh weight and dry weight after chemical exposure. The response of the HSPs gene expression by chemical exposure was rapid and sensitive to low chemical concentrations but it was not stressor specific. Interestingly, an increase in the expression of HSPs genes was observed not only in a stress inducible form (HSP70), but also in a constitutively (HSC70) expressed form. The expression of Hb genes showed chemical-specific responses: that is, alkyl phenolic compounds increased the expression of hemoglobin genes, whereas pesticides decreased the expression. As expected, molecular-level markers were more sensitive than physiological endpoints, suggesting that gene expression could be developed as an early warning biomarker in this animal. The overall results suggest that the expression of HSP and Hb genes in Chironomus could give useful information for diagnosing general health conditions in fresh water ecosystem. The expression of Hb genes, in particular, seems to be a promising biomarker, especially in view of the potential of Chironomus larvae as a biomonitoring species and of the physiological particularities of their respiratory pigments.

Comparative and Mixture Sediment Toxicity of Trinitrotoluene and Its Major Transformation Products to a Freshwater Midge

The explosive trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a prevalent contaminant in many military installations worldwide. Limited knowledge of the comparative toxicity of sediment-associated TNT and related compounds contributes to uncertainty when assessing ecological risks in contaminated sites. Trinitrotoluene undergoes transformation when associated with soils and sediments and typically occurs as a mixture dominated by its reduction products. The objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the single-compound toxicity of TNT and its major transformation products to the freshwater midge Chironomus tentans in 10-day exposures to sediment spiked with TNT, 2-aminodinitrotoluene (2-ADNT), 2,4-diaminonitrotoluene (2,4-DANT), or trinitrobenzene (TNB). In addition, the nature of the toxicological interactions of the latter compounds in a mixture was evaluated. Upon spiking to sediment, TNT and TNB rapidly degraded to reduced products, and disappearance of extractable compounds suggested irreversible binding to sediment particles. The high degree of transformation and reactivity occurring during 10 days at spiking concentrations as high as 4000 micromol/kg dry weight suggests that TNT and related compounds are unlikely to be encountered in fine-grained sediments at contaminated sites. Similar to previous investigations, the high reactivity of the spiked compound hampered determination of accurate toxic concentrations of TNT and related compounds, and of the nature of toxicological interaction of compounds in a mixture in this study. Sediment concentrations associated with decreased survival were similar for all four compounds, with the 10-d median lethal concentrations (LC50s) determined using initial concentrations ranging from 175 (2-ADNT) to 605 (2,4-DANT) micromol/kg dry weight. Sublethal decrease in growth was not observed for any compound. Results from the mixture experiment suggest additive interaction among TNT and related compounds in sediment exposures.

Joint Toxicity of Triazine Herbicides and Organophosphate Insecticides to the Midge Chironomus tentans

A series of recent studies demonstrated that the triazine herbicide atrazine, although not itself acutely toxic, potentiated the toxicity of certain organophosphate insecticides (OPs) to the midge Chironomus tentans. In the current study, a series of triazine herbicides and triazine herbicide degradation products were tested to determine if other triazines potentiate OP toxicity to midges. Chlorpyrifos and diazinon were the OPs tested. Toxicity tests were conducted using a factorial design and analysis of variance to statistically determine if each triazine had an effect on expected toxicity. Log-probit procedures were also used to evaluate the magnitude of change in median effective concentration (EC50) values during coexposure with each triazine. All of the triazine herbicides tested (atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and hexazinone) were capable of potentiating the toxicity of the OPs, whereas the degradation products (s-triazine, deethylatrazine, and deisopropylatrazine) had less effect. In most cases, a triazine concentration of 100 microg/L was necessary to significantly increase OP toxicity, and higher concentrations of triazine caused a greater degree of potentiation. Changes in EC50 values ranged from no change to a 2.5-fold increase in toxicity. Generally, EC50 values changed by less than a factor of 2, indicating that the effect may be of limited concern in regard to future risk assessments of OPs.

Toxicity Assessment of Pesticide Mixtures Typical of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Using Chironomus tentans

This study examined the effects of nine commonly detected pesticides in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta on the aquatic midge Chironomus tentans. Pesticides were chosen from a variety of chemical classes including organophosphate (OP) insecticides as well as triazine, triazinone, and substituted urea herbicides. Both single toxicant and binary mixture bioassays were performed. In addition, midges were pre-exposed to DDE at environmentally relevant concentrations and then challenged by exposing them to chlorpyrifos or diazinon in single-toxicant acute bioassays. Results indicate that most of the binary mixtures elicited additive responses in C. tentans, whereas OP insecticides in combination with various herbicides caused greater-than-additive responses. Pre-exposures with DDE did not have a significant impact on subsequent OP challenges at DDE concentrations of 0.2, 2, and 20 microg/kg. This study represents an important first step in understanding the interactions among various pesticides commonly detected throughout the Delta.

Distribution and toxicity of sediment-associated pesticides in agriculture-dominated water bodies of California's Central Valley.

The agricultural industry and urban pesticide users are increasingly relying upon pyrethroid insecticides and shifting to more potent members of the class, yet little information is available on residues of these substances in aquatic systems under conditions of actual use. Seventy sediment samples were collected over a 10-county area in the agriculture-dominated Central Valley of California, with most sites located in irrigation canals and small creeks dominated by agricultural effluent. The sediments were analyzed for 26 pesticides including five pyrethroids, 20 organochlorines, and one organophosphate. Ten-day sediment toxicity tests were conducted using the amphipod Hyalella azteca and, for some samples, the midge Chironomus tentans. Forty-two percent of the locations sampled caused significant mortality to one test species on at least one occasion. Fourteen percent of the sites (two creeks and four irrigation canals) showed extreme toxicity (>80% mortality) on at least one occasion. Pyrethroid pesticides were detected in 75% of the sediment samples, with permethrin detected most frequently, followed by esfenvalerate > bifenthrin > lambda-cyhalothrin. Based on a toxicity unit analysis, measured pyrethroid concentrations were sufficiently high to have contributed to the toxicity in 40% of samples toxic to C. tentans and nearly 70% of samples toxic to H. azteca. Organochlorine compounds (endrin, endosulfan) may have contributed to the toxicity at a few other sites. This study provides one of the first geographically broad assessments of pyrethroids in areas highly affected by agriculture, and it suggests there is a greater need to examine sediment-associated pesticide residues and their potential for uptake by and toxicity to benthic organisms.

An improved dual-expression concept, generating high-quality antibodies for proteomics research.

A novel, improved dual bacterial-expression system, designed for large-scale generation of high-quality polyclonal antibody preparations intended for proteomics research, is presented. The concept involves parallel expression of cDNA-encoded proteins, as a fusion with two different tags in two separate vector systems. Both systems enable convenient blotting procedures for expression screening on crude bacterial cell cultures and single-step affinity purification under denaturing conditions. One of the fusion proteins is used to elicit antibodies, and the second fusion protein is used in an immobilized form as an affinity ligand to enrich antibodies with selective reactivity to the cDNA-encoded part, common for the two fusion proteins. To evaluate the system, four cDNA clones from putative nuclear proteins from the non-biting midge Chironomus tentans were expressed. Antibodies to these cDNA-encoded proteins were generated, enriched and used in blotting and immunofluorescence procedures to determine expression patterns for the native proteins corresponding to the cDNAs. The four antibody preparations showed specific reactivity to the corresponding recombinant cDNA-encoded proteins, and three of the four antibodies gave specific staining in Western-blot analysis of nuclear cell extracts. Furthermore, two of the antibody preparations gave specific staining in immunofluorescence analysis of C. tentans cells. We conclude that the dual-vector concept presented offers a highly stringent strategy for the generation of monospecific polyclonal antibodies, which are useful in proteomics research.

The Hrp65 self-interaction is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved domain and is required for nuclear import of Hrp65 isoforms that lack a nuclear localization signal

Hrp65, an evolutionary conserved RNA-binding protein from the midge Chironomus tentans, has a conserved DBHS (Drosophila behavior, human splicing) domain that is also present in several mammalian proteins. In a yeast two-hybrid screening we found that Hrp65 can interact with itself. Here we confirm the Hrp65 self-interaction by in vitro pull-down experiments and map the sequences responsible for the interaction to a region that we refer to as the protein-binding domain located within the DBHS domain. We also show that the protein-binding domains of Drosophila NonA and human PSF, two other proteins with conserved DBHS domains, bind to Hrp65 in the yeast two-hybrid system. These observations indicate that the protein-binding domain can mediate homodimerization of Hrp65 as well as heterodimerization between different DBHS-containing proteins. Moreover, analyses of recombinant Hrp65 by gel-filtration chromatography show that Hrp65 can not only dimerize but also oligomerize into complexes of at least three to six molecules. Furthermore, we have analyzed the functional significance of the Hrp65 self-interaction in cotransfection assays, and our results suggest that the interaction between different Hrp65 isoforms is crucial for their intracellular localization.

Toxicity of aqueous and sediment‐associated fluoride to freshwater organisms

Inorganic fluorides were declared toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act in 1993 based on their potential to cause long-term harmful effects in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, but information on the toxicity of sediment-associated fluoride to freshwater benthic organisms was considered incomplete. The purpose of this study was to determine the toxicity of aqueous and sediment-associated fluoride to several species of freshwater organisms and to determine if toxic effects could be expected under environmentally realistic exposures. Toxicity of fluoride (as NaF) in short-term (48-96-h) lethality tests was greatest for the amphipod Hyalella azteca (median lethal concentration [LC50] = 14.6 mg F-/L), followed by the mayfly Hexagenia limbata (32.3), the midge Chironomus tentans (124.1), the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas (262.4), and the cladoceran Daphnia magna (282.8). Relative toxicity in long-term (10-28-d) growth and survival tests in spiked sediment was similar. Hyalella azteca was the most sensitive species for growth (25% inhibitory concentration [IC25] = 290.2 microg F-/g), followed by C. tentans (661.4), H. limbata (1,221.3), and P. promelas (>5,600); H. azteca was also the most sensitive species for survival (LC50 = 1,114.6 microg F-/g), followed by H. limbata (1,652.2) and P. promelas and C. tentans (>5,600 for both). Concentrations of fluoride measured in sediments near some industrial point sources exceed some of these toxicity thresholds. Fluoride is highly mobile in aquatic systems and could potentially reach toxic levels in the water column during dredging to remove fluoride-contaminated sediment.

Toxicity of the explosives 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene, hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine, and octahydro‐1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine in sediments toChironomus tentansandHyalella azteca: Low‐dose hormesis and high‐dose mortality

The toxicity of the explosives 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT); hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (royal demolition explosive [RDX]); and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (high-melting explosive [HMX]), was evaluated in spiked sediment with two freshwater invertebrates. The midge Chironomus tentans and the amphipod Hyalella azteca demonstrated significant toxic effects after exposure to TNT and its degradation products, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) and 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DANT). Significant reductions in survival of C. tentans exposed to TNT, TNB, and 2,4-DANT were observed at nominal sediment concentrations as low as 200 mg/kg. Hyalella azteca was more sensitive to TNT, TNB, and 2,4-DANT than the midge, where significant reductions in survival were observed at nominal concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Survival of the midge and the amphipod was unaffected after exposure to RDX or HMX at the highest concentrations of 1,000 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Growth of the midge, measured as total weight, was significantly reduced by 2,4-DANT. However, significantly increased growth was observed after exposure to sublethal concentrations of RDX and HMX. Although significant reductions in amphipod survival were observed at high concentrations of TNB, growth was significantly increased at sublethal concentrations. The results of the current investigation suggest that organisms exposed to explosives at contaminated sites may be affected at concentrations less than 25 mg/kg through hormetic growth enhancement and at higher concentrations through increased mortality.

Zebra Mussel Colonies and Yellow Perch Foraging: Spatial Complexity, Refuges, and Resource Enhancement

Throughout the Great Lakes basin, the invasion of zebra mussels has led to substantial increases in benthic invertebrate densities around zebra mussel colonies. This research focused on whether the enhanced benthic community associated with zebra mussel colonies is available to yellow perch, a bottom-foraging fish. In a series of laboratory trials, perch foraging success was examined under conditions of continuous and patchy zebra mussel coverage using gammarid amphipods and the midge Chironomus tentans as prey. Perch were less successful foraging for amphipods when zebra mussel coverage was continuous and marginally less successful foraging for chironomids when zebra mussel coverage was patchy. In a second laboratory series of videotaped trials with patchy coverage and amphipod prey, the use of space by both amphipods and foraging perch was examined. In these trials, perch actively foraged on the zebra mussel colonies even though their strikes were less likely to be successful there than on bare sand. Perch tended to take amphipods in exposed areas first, but because many more amphipods located themselves in zebra mussel colonies, many prey were taken in this habitat too. These results suggest that yellow perch are able to exploit the extra prey resources in zebra mussel colonies, although it may require slightly more effort to do so.

Laboratory analyses of the potential toxicity of sediment‐associated polydimethylsiloxane to benthic macroinvertebrates

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used in a number of industrial processes and consumer products that result in down-the-drain disposal. The log p value for the PDMS used in the present study was 10, and the vapor pressure and water solubility values were below detection limits. These physicochemical characteristics and a measured degradation rate of 3% after six months in moist soils suggest that PDMS may accumulate in aquatic sediments. Sediment toxicity tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca and with larvae of the midge Chironomus tentans were used to assess the potential for toxicity of PDMS-amended sediments to benthic invertebrates in short-term (10-d) and whole-life-cycle (28 d for H. azteca, 50-65 d for C. tentans) exposures. Endpoints for short-term tests included survival and growth, while life-cycle assays considered survival, growth, reproduction, and, for C. tentans only, emergence. Short-term and life-cycle exposures to concentrations of > or = 1,000 mg PDMS/kg sediment (dry wt) indicated that PDMS will not reduce survival, growth, or reproduction in H. azteca or C. tentans.