TY - JOUR

T1 - Influence of LAS on marine calanoid copepod population dynamics and potential reproduction

AU - Christoffersen, Kirsten

AU - Hansen, Benni Winding

AU - Johansson, Liselotte Sander

AU - Krog, Elisabeth

PY - 2003/5/29

Y1 - 2003/5/29

N2 - The toxicity of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) to marine invertebrates is well documented under laboratory conditions using single-species tests. It is less known how LAS affects natural populations of aquatic organisms. We hypothesised that LAS was more toxic to the calanoid copepod Acartia sp. under natural conditions than Acartia tonsa under cultured conditions in the laboratory. This hypothesis was checked by a direct comparison of LAS toxicity in single-species and model (mesocosm) studies. The acute and sublethal effects of LAS on the survival and egg production of laboratory reared A. tonsa were examined by standard test, i.e. incubation with LAS without food for 24-72 h. The LC(50) and EC(50) values averaged 1.23 and 0.74 mg l(-1) for survival and egg production, respectively. These values are comparable to previous reports. The effects of LAS on a natural copepod community were also investigated under in situ conditions. A series of seven mesocosms (holding approx. 3 m(3) of seawater each) was established with two mesocosms being controls without LAS and five mesocosms with increasing concentrations of LAS ranging from 0.1 to 6.5 mg l(-1) applied as a single dose. The indigenous copepod community, dominated by Acartia sp. and Centropages sp., responded clearly to LAS concentrations above 0.1 mg l(-1). The calculated no effect value was 0.14 mg LAS l(-1) (95% CI=0.08-1.82 mg LAS l(-1)) for the entire copepod community including all development stages after 24 h exposure. The increased sensitivity under in situ conditions was probably promoted by the suboptimal growth conditions, e.g. no saturated food concentration or inadequate nutritive values of the food. The amount of food expressed as chlorophyll concentration was low (around 2 microg chl. a l(-1)) but was not affected by LAS. It appeared that the naupliar stages of Acartia and Centropages were the least affected by LAS and that new cohorts were able to develop 15 days after the dosing with LAS.

AB - The toxicity of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) to marine invertebrates is well documented under laboratory conditions using single-species tests. It is less known how LAS affects natural populations of aquatic organisms. We hypothesised that LAS was more toxic to the calanoid copepod Acartia sp. under natural conditions than Acartia tonsa under cultured conditions in the laboratory. This hypothesis was checked by a direct comparison of LAS toxicity in single-species and model (mesocosm) studies. The acute and sublethal effects of LAS on the survival and egg production of laboratory reared A. tonsa were examined by standard test, i.e. incubation with LAS without food for 24-72 h. The LC(50) and EC(50) values averaged 1.23 and 0.74 mg l(-1) for survival and egg production, respectively. These values are comparable to previous reports. The effects of LAS on a natural copepod community were also investigated under in situ conditions. A series of seven mesocosms (holding approx. 3 m(3) of seawater each) was established with two mesocosms being controls without LAS and five mesocosms with increasing concentrations of LAS ranging from 0.1 to 6.5 mg l(-1) applied as a single dose. The indigenous copepod community, dominated by Acartia sp. and Centropages sp., responded clearly to LAS concentrations above 0.1 mg l(-1). The calculated no effect value was 0.14 mg LAS l(-1) (95% CI=0.08-1.82 mg LAS l(-1)) for the entire copepod community including all development stages after 24 h exposure. The increased sensitivity under in situ conditions was probably promoted by the suboptimal growth conditions, e.g. no saturated food concentration or inadequate nutritive values of the food. The amount of food expressed as chlorophyll concentration was low (around 2 microg chl. a l(-1)) but was not affected by LAS. It appeared that the naupliar stages of Acartia and Centropages were the least affected by LAS and that new cohorts were able to develop 15 days after the dosing with LAS.

KW - Acute Toxicity Tests

KW - Alkanesulfonic Acids

KW - Animals

KW - Copepoda

KW - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Environment, Controlled

KW - Environmental Exposure

KW - Fertility

KW - Lethal Dose 50

KW - Population Dynamics

KW - Reproduction

KW - Water Pollutants, Chemical

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12758005

VL - 63

SP - 405

EP - 416

JO - Aquatic Toxicology

JF - Aquatic Toxicology

SN - 0166-445X

IS - 4

ER -