Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Toxicity of pentachlorophenol to native aquatic species in the Yangtze River

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

While the literature is replete with studies of the toxic potency of pentachlorophenol (PCP), site-specific criteria for native aquatic species that can be used in ecological risk assessments has been lacking and application of toxicity information for non-native species is controversial.

Materials and methods

In the present study, acute and chronic toxicities of PCP to six aquatic species native to the Yangtze River were determined. The HC5 and HC50 (hazardous concentration for 5% and 50% of species) were derived from dose–response curves for these native aquatic species and were then compared with those derived for non-native species.

Results

The acute toxicity values for the native species ranged from 8.8 × 10−2 mg l−1 (Plagiognathops microlepis) to 1.1 mg l−1 (Soirodela polyrhiza), while chronic toxicity values based on no observed effect concentrations (NOECs) ranged from 0.01 mg l−1 (Macrobrachium superbum) to 0.25 mg l−1 (Soirodela polyrhiza). Native aquatic benthos was more sensitive to acute PCP exposure than non-native species. There was no significant difference in NOECs derived from native fish species and those based on non-native fish species. The median acute HC5 and HC50 derived from the toxicity data of native taxa were both less than those derived from non-native taxa. There was no significant difference between chronic HC5s derived from the two sets of taxa. However, the median chronic HC50 derived from native taxa was less than that derived from non-native taxa.

Conclusion

The study upon which we report here provides site-specific toxicity information developed for native species which can be used for the protection of local aquatic life from a common contaminant, PCP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adema DMM, Vink IGJ (1981) A comparative-study of the toxicity of 1,1,2-trichloroethane, dieldrin, pentachlorophenol and 3,4 dichloroaniline for marine and fresh-water organisms. Chemosphere 10:533–554

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ANZECC & ARMCANZ (2000) Australian and New Zealand guidelines for fresh and marine water quality. Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council and Agriculture and Resource management Council of Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, Australia

  • ASTM (1993) Standard guide for conducting acute toxicity tests with fishes, macroinvertebrates and amphibians. Annual book of ASTM standards. American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA, USA, pp 88–729

  • Belgers JDM, Aalderink GH, Van den Brink PJ (2009) Effects of four fungicides on nine non-target submersed macrophytes. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 72:579–584

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Besser JM, Wang N, Dwyer FJ, Mayer FL, Ingersoll CG (2005) Assessing contaminant sensitivity of endangered and threatened aquatic species: Part II. Chronic toxicity of copper and pentachlorophenol to two endangered species and two surrogate species. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 48:155–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell DJ, Mastrocco F, Hutchinson TH, Lange R, Heijerick D, Janssen C et al (2008) Derivation of an aquatic predicted no-effect concentration for the synthetic hormone, 17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol. Environ Sci Technol 42:7046–7054

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell E, Palmer MJ, Shao Q, Warne MSJ, Wilson D (2000) BurrliOZ: a computer program for calculating toxicant trigger values for the ANZECC and ARMCANZ water quality guidelines. Perth, Western Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Crossland NO (1985) A method to evaluate effects of toxic chemicals on fish growth. Chemosphere 14:1855–1870

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies PE, Cook LSJ, Goenarso D (1994) Sublethal responses to pesticides of several species of Australian fresh-water fish and crustaceans and rainbow-trout. Environ Toxicol Chem 13:1341–1354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duboudin C, Ciffroy P, Magaud H (2004) Acute-to-chronic species sensitivity distribution extrapolation. Environ Toxicol Chem 23:1774–1785

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer FJ, Mayer FL, Sappington LC, Buckler DR, Bridges CM, Greer IE et al (2005) Assessing contaminant sensitivity of endangered and threatened aquatic species: Part I. Acute toxicity of five chemicals. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 48:143–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer SD, Belanger SE, Carr GJ (1997) An initial evaluation of the use of Euro/North American fish species for tropical effects assessments. Chemosphere 35:2767–2781

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer SD, Versteeg DJ, Belanger SE, Chaney JG, Raimondo S, Barron MG (2008) Comparison of species sensitivity distributions derived from interspecies correlation models to distributions used to derive water quality criteria. Environ Sci Technol 42:3076–3083

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao JJ, Liu LH, Liu XR, Zhou HD, Huang SB, Wang ZJ (2008) Levels and spatial distribution of chlorophenols 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol in surface water of China. Chemosphere 71:1181–1187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ge JC, Pan JL, Fel ZL, Wu GH, Giesy JP (2007) Concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in fish and shrimp in Jiangsu Province, China. Chemosphere 69:164–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giddings JM, Barber I, Warren-Hicks W (2009) Comparative aquatic toxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin and its resolved isomer gamma-cyhalothrin. Ecotoxicology 18:239–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giesy JP, Solomon KR, Coats JR, Dixon KR, Giddings JM, Kenega EK (1999) Ecological risk assessment of chlorpyrifos in North American aquatic environments. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 160:1–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grist EPM, O'Hagan A, Crane M, Sorokin N, Sims I, Whitehouse P (2006) Bayesian and time-independent species sensitivity distributions for risk assessment of chemicals. Environ Sci Technol 40:395–401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hickey CW, Martin ML (1995) Relative sensitivity of five benthic invertebrate species to reference toxicants and resin-acid contaminated sediments. Environ Toxicol Chem 14:1401–1409

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hose GC, Van den Brink PJ (2004) Confirming the species-sensitivity distribution concept for endosulfan using laboratory, mesocosm, and field data. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 47:511–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jagoe RH, Newman MC (1997) Bootstrap estimation of community NOEC values. Ecotoxicology 6:293–306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klimisch HJ, Andreae M, Tillmann U (1997) A systematic approach for evaluating the quality of experimental toxicological and ecotoxicological data. Regul Toxicol Pharm 25:1–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mallett MJ, Grandy NJ, Lacey RF (1997) Interlaboratory comparison of a method to evaluate the effects of chemicals on fish growth. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:528–533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maltby L, Blake N, Brock TCM, Van den Brink PJ (2002) Addressing interspecific variation in sensitivity and the potential to reduce this source of uncertainty in ecotoxicological assessments. DEFRA project code PN0932. UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London, UK

  • Maltby L, Blake N, Brock TCM, Van Den Brink PJ (2005) Insecticide species sensitivity distributions: importance of test species selection and relevance to aquatic ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 24:379–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nie JL, Liu F, Zhou CY, Liu ZT (2001) Study on the acute and sub-acute toxicities of chlorophenols on Carassias auratus. Res Environ Sci 14:6–8 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2002) OECD Guidelines for the testing of chemicals, revised proposal for a new guideline 221, Lemna sp. growth inhibition test. OECD, Paris, France

  • Orton F, Lutz I, Kloas W, Routledge EJ (2009) Endocrine disrupting effects of herbicides and pentachlorophenol: in vitro and in vivo evidence. Environ Sci Technol 43:2144–2150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • RIVM (2001) Guidance document on deriving environmental risk limits in The Netherlands.Report no.601501012. In Traas TP (ed) National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

  • Roessink I, Belgers JDM, Crum SJH, van den Brink PJ, Brock TCM (2006) Impact of triphenyltin acetate in microcosms simulating floodplain lakes: II. Comparison of species sensitivity distributions between laboratory and semi-field. Ecotoxicology 15:411–424

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shao Q (2000) Estimation for hazardous concentrations based on NOEC toxicity data: an alternative approach. Environmetrics 11(5):583–595

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson SL (2005) Exposure-effect model for calculating copper effect concentrations in Sediments with varying copper binding properties: a synthesis. Environ Sci Technol 39:7089–7096

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon KR, Giesy JP, Jones PD (2000) Probabilistic risk assessment of agrochemicals in the environment. Crop Protect 19:649–655

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song ZH, Huang GL (2005) Toxic effects of pentachlorophenol on Lemna minor. B Environ Contam Toxicol 74:1166–1172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song ZH, Huang GL (2007) Toxic effects of pentachlorophenol on Lemna polyrhiza. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 66:343–347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stangroom SJ, Collins CD, Lester JN (1998) Sources of organic micropollutants to lowland rivers. Environ Technol 19:643–666

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thakur IS, Verma PK, Upadhaya KC (2001) Involvement of plasmid in degradation of pentachlorophenol by Pseudomonas sp from a chemostat. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 286:109–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1985) Guidelines for deriving numerical national water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic organisms and their uses. National Technical Information Service Accession Number PB85-227049. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC, USA

  • USEPA (1986) Ambient water quality criteria for pentachlorophenol. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA

  • USEPA (1990) Dunett Program Version 1.5, Probit Program Version 1.5, and Trimmed spearman-Karber (TSK) Program Version 1.5, Ecological Monitoring Research Division. Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, USA

  • USEPA (1991) Water Quality Criteria Summary, Ecological Risk Assessment Branch (WH-585) and Human Risk Assessment Branch (WH-550D). In: Health and Ecological Criteria Division U (ed). Washington, DC, USA

  • USEPA (1993) Methods for measuring the acute toxicity of effluents and receiving waters to freshwater and marine organisms. United States Environmental Protection Agency. Cincinnati, OH, USA

  • USEPA (2002) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ECOTOX Database; U.S. EPA, Washington, DC. Available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ecotox/

  • USEPA (2006) National Recommended Water Quality Criteria, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA

  • Vanstraalen NM, Denneman CAJ (1989) Ecotoxicological evaluation of soil quality criteria. Ecotox Environ Saf 18:241–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verma SR, Rani S, Tyagi AK, Dalela RC (1980) Evaluation of acute toxicity of phenol and its chloro-derivatives and nitro-derivatives to certain teleosts. Water Air Soil Pollut 14:95–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler JR, Grist EPM, Leung KMY, Morritt D, Crane M (2002) Species sensitivity distributions: data and model choice. Mar Pollut Bull 45:192–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xia Q, Chen YQ, Liu XB (2004) Water quality criteria and standards. Standard Press in China, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin DQ, Hu SQ, Jin HJ, Yu LW (2003a) Deriving freshwater quality criteria for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol for protection of aquatic life in China. Chemosphere 52:67–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin DQ, Jin HJ, Yu LW, Hu SQ (2003b) Deriving freshwater quality criteria for 2,4-dichlorophenol for protection of aquatic life in China. Environ Pollut 122:217–222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan XH, Yang ZH (1983) Botanic physiological and biochemical test. Advanced Education Publishing Company, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zha JM, Wang ZJ, Schlenk D (2006) Effects of pentachlorophenol on the reproduction of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Chem-Biol Interact 161:26–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang T, Jin HJ (1997) Use of duckweed (Lemna minor L.) growth inhibition test to evaluate the toxicity of acrylonitrile, sulphocyanic sodium and acetonitrile in China. Environ Pollut 98:143–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng MH, Zhang B, Bao ZC, Yang H, Xu XB (2000) Analysis of pentachlorophenol from water, sediments, and fish bile of Dongting lake in China. B Environ Contam Tox 64:16–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou YX, Cheng SP, Hu W (1995) The Gobiocypris rarus seven-day subchronic toxicity test. Acta Sci Circumstantiae 15:375–380 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (40703025), National High-Tech R&D Program of China (2007AA06A405), and National S&T Major Project of China (2008ZX07211-007). Prof. Giesy was supported by the Canada Research Chair program, an at large Chair Professorship at the Department of Biology and Chemistry and State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, The Einstein Professor Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Visiting Professor Program of King Saud University. We also thank Dr. Charles G. Delos from the Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, for the assistance with manuscript and valuable comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China

    Xiaowei Jin, Jinmiao Zha, Yiping Xu & Zijian Wang

  2. Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    John P. Giesy

  3. Department of Zoology, and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    John P. Giesy

  4. Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    John P. Giesy

  5. Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    John P. Giesy

Authors
  1. Xiaowei Jin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinmiao Zha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yiping Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John P. Giesy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zijian Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zijian Wang.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Thomas Braunbeck

Electronic supplementary material

Toxicity data of PCP to native and non-native species collected from existing toxicity databases, published literature, and government document.

ESM 1

(DOC 431 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jin, X., Zha, J., Xu, Y. et al. Toxicity of pentachlorophenol to native aquatic species in the Yangtze River. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 609–618 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0594-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0594-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation