Rach, J.J., M. P. Gaikowski, S.M. Schleis, and C. A. Perkins.  2002.  Safety of hydrogen 
peroxide to paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) eggs.  
Completion report for study CAP-00-H202-1.  Submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug 
Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine INAD 10-023.  August 8, 2002.  240.



The toxicity of hydrogen peroxide to paddlefish and rainbow trout eggs was evaluated in 
a miniature egg jar incubation system.  Paddlefish eggs were cultured at 17?C in egg jars 
and treated for 15 min every day with 0 (untreated control), 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, or 2,500 
mg/L of hydrogen peroxide through egg hatch.  Eggs of rainbow trout were cultured at 
12?C in miniature egg jars in two separate but corresponding systems and treated for 15 
min every day with 0 (untreated control),  1,000, 1,500, 2,000, or 2,500 mg/L of 
hydrogen peroxide until the viable eggs hatched.  The total number of eggs in each egg 
jar and fry in each aquarium at the termination of each trial was enumerated by direct 
counts.  Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were verified analytically for each 
treatment by a titrimetric method.  The mean percent hatch for the control and treated 
paddlefish eggs were 7% (0 mg/L), 34% (at 1,000 mg/L), 26% (1,500 mg/L),  27% 
(2,000 mg/L), and 24% (at 2,500 mg/L).  All hydrogen peroxide treatment groups had 
significantly higher egg hatches in comparison to the control group.  In two rainbow trout 
trials conducted in banks A and B, the control and treated eggs had mean percent hatches 
as follows:  Bank A, 73% (0 mg/L), 54% (1,000 mg/L), 49% (1,500 mg/L), 46% (2,000 
mg/L), and 35% (2,500 mg/L); Bank B, 79% (0 mg/L), 51% (1,000 mg/L), 46% (1,500 
mg/L), 42% (2,000 mg/L), and 33% (2,500mg/L).  Hydrogen peroxide treatments on 
rainbow trout eggs reduced the probability of egg hatch in a dose-dependent manner.