Hazard evaluation of inorganics, singly and in mixtures, to flannelmouth sucker Catostomus latipinnis in the San Juan River, New Mexico.

Larval flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis) were exposed to arsenate, boron, copper, molybdenum, selenate, selenite, uranium, vanadium, and zinc singly, and to five mixtures of five to nine inorganics. The exposures were conducted in reconstituted water representative of the San Juan River near Shiprock, New Mexico. The mixtures simulated environmental ratios reported for sites along the San Juan River (San Juan River backwater, Fruitland marsh, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek). The rank order of the individual inorganics, from most to least toxic, was: copper > zinc > vanadium > selenite > selenate > arsenate > uranium > boron > molybdenum. All five mixtures exhibited additive toxicity to flannelmouth sucker. In a limited number of tests, 44-day-old and 13-day-old larvae exhibited no difference in sensitivity to three mixtures. Copper was the major toxic component in four mixtures (San Juan backwater, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek), whereas zinc was the major toxic component in the Fruitland marsh mixture, which did not contain copper. The Hogback East Drain was the most toxic mixture tested. Comparison of 96-h LC50 values with reported environmental water concentrations from the San Juan River revealed low hazard ratios for arsenic, boron, molybdenum, selenate, selenite, uranium, and vanadium, moderate hazard ratios for zinc and the Fruitland marsh mixture, and high hazard ratios for copper at three sites and four environmental mixtures representing a San Juan backwater, Hogback East Drain, Mancos River, and McElmo Creek. The high hazard ratios suggest that inorganic contaminants could adversely affect larval flannelmouth sucker in the San Juan River at four sites receiving elevated inorganics.

[1]  Steven J. Hamilton,et al.  Toxicity of organic selenium in the diet to chinook salmon , 1990 .

[2]  Jr. John Cairns,et al.  The Myth of the Most Sensitive SpeciesMultispecies testing can provide valuable evidence for protecting the environment , 1986 .

[3]  P. Hodson,et al.  Effects on Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) of a Chronic Exposure to Waterborne Selenium , 1980 .

[4]  R. L. Spehar,et al.  Acute and chronic effects of water quality criteria‐based metal mixtures on three aquatic species , 1986 .

[5]  J. B. Sprague.  Measurement of pollutant toxicity to fish. II. Utilizing and applying bioassay results , 1970 .

[6]  J. C. Davis,et al.  Toxicity uptake and survey studies of boron in the marine environment , 1976 .

[7]  R. Krueger,et al.  Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the Dolores Project area, southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, 1990-91 , 1995 .

[8]  E. Garside,et al.  Lethal effects of vanadium to two life stages of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill) , 1987 .

[9]  S. Hamilton,et al.  A system for reconstituting special water qualities for use in chronic toxicity studies , 1989 .

[10]  A. E. Greenberg,et al.  Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater : supplement to the sixteenth edition , 1988 .

[11]  Q. Pickering,et al.  The acute toxicity of some heavy metals to different species of warmwater fishes. , 1966, Air and water pollution.

[12]  B. Neven,et al.  Toxicity of vanadium to different freshwater organisms , 1987, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[13]  E. E. Kenaga.  Review: The use of environmental toxicology and chemistry data in hazard assessment: Progress, needs, challenges , 1982 .

[14]  B. K. Knudtson.  Acute toxicity of vanadium to two species of freshwater fish , 1979, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[15]  S J Hamilton,et al.  Hazard assessment of inorganics to three endangered fish in the Green River, Utah. , 1995, Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

[16]  D. Dixon,et al.  The impact of temperature on the acute toxicity of arsenate and arsenite to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). , 1989, Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

[17]  R. Eisler.  Molybdenum Hazards to Fish, Wildlife, and Invertebrates: A Synoptic Review. , 1989 .

[18]  T. Payne,et al.  Acute toxicity of selenium dioxide to freshwater fishes , 1976, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[19]  David J. Hoffman,et al.  EMBRYONIC MORTALITY AND ABNORMALITIES OF AQUATIC BIRDS: APPARENT IMPACTS OF SELENIUM FROM IRRIGATION DRAINWATER , 1986 .

[20]  Frankenberger.  Selenium in the Environment , 1994 .

[21]  T. O'Brien,et al.  Reconnaissance investigation of water quality, bottom sediment, and biota associated with irrigation drainage in the San Juan River area, San Juan County, northwestern New Mexico, 1990-91 , 1993 .

[22]  Joseph S. Meyer,et al.  An environmental hazard evaluation of uranium in a Rocky Mountain stream , 1984 .

[23]  Q. Pickering,et al.  The Acute Toxicity of Zinc to Eggs and Fry of the Fathead Minnow , 1965 .

[24]  W. Bettger,et al.  Dietary vanadium toxicity in juvenile rainbow trout: a preliminary study , 1988 .

[25]  B. Waddell,et al.  Physical, chemical, and biological data for detailed study of irrigation drainage in the Middle Green River basin, Utah 1988-89, with selected data for 1982-87 , 1991 .

[26]  J. B. Sprague,et al.  Effects of water hardness and pH on vanadium lethality to rainbow trout , 1982 .

[27]  J. B. Sprague,et al.  Chronic toxicity of vanadium to flagfish , 1979 .

[28]  B. Finlayson,et al.  Toxicities of Copper, Zinc, and Cadmium Mixtures to Juvenile Chinook Salmon , 1982 .

[29]  D. A. Holdway.  Uranium toxicity to two species of Australian tropical fish , 1992 .

[30]  J. G. Eaton.  Chronic toxicity of a copper, cadmium and zinc mixture to the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas rafinesque) , 1973 .

[31]  Steven J. Hamilton,et al.  Toxicity of inorganic contaminants, individually and in environmental mixtures, to three endangered fishes (Colorado squawfish, bonytail, and razorback sucker) , 1996 .

[32]  R. L. Easterday.  The acute toxicity of molybdenum to the bluegill , 1962 .

[33]  J. Bywater,et al.  Sensitivity to uranium of six species of tropical freshwater fishes and four species of cladocerans from Northern Australia , 1991 .

[34]  C. Weber,et al.  Methods for measuring the acute toxicity of effluents to freshwater and marine organisms , 1985 .

[35]  S. Hamilton,et al.  Hazard assessment of inorganics, individually and in mixtures, to two endangered fish in the San Juan River, New Mexico , 1997 .

[36]  Mount Di.  The effect of total hardness and pH on acute toxicity of zinc to fish. , 1966 .

[37]  J. Cairns,et al.  Acute toxicity of zinc and copper singly and in combination to the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) , 1980, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[38]  I. Barnes,et al.  Selenium concentrations in waters tributary to and in the vicinity of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, Fresno and Merced counties, California , 1984 .

[39]  S. Hamilton,et al.  Acute toxicity of boron, molybdenum, and selenium to fry of chinook salmon and coho salmon , 1990, Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[40]  G. Chapman.  Toxicities of Cadmium, Copper, and Zinc to Four Juvenile Stages of Chinook Salmon and Steelhead , 1978 .

[41]  J. E. Brooks,et al.  STATUS OF COLORADO SQUAWFISH AND RAZORBACK SUCKER IN THE SAN JUAN RIVER, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, AND UTAH , 1991 .

[42]  R. Weston,et al.  Toxicity of Various Refinery Materials to Fresh Water Fish , 1954 .

[43]  S. Hamilton,et al.  Relative sensitivity of early life stages of Arctic grayling, Coho salmon, and rainbow trout to nine inorganics. , 1991, Ecotoxicology and environmental safety.

[44]  G. Mance,et al.  The acute toxicity of nine ‘grey list’ metals (arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, vanadium and zinc) to two marine fish species: Dab (Limanda limanda) and grey mullet (Chelon labrosus) , 1985 .

[45]  R. Train,et al.  Quality criteria for water , 1979 .