Statement of Problem: USGS Goal: Toxicology and Chemistry - Develop methods and generate information to determine sources, fate, exposure and effects of environmental contaminants. Develop and standardize biomarkers, molecular biology methods and other analytical and toxicological assays. White sturgeon frequently exhibit high rates of mortality during the onset of exogenous feeding that can invalidate standard test criteria for survival, and obscure the dose response to exposure. In an effort to control for this early mortality, a two-phase (biphasic) study will be conducted in four diluters with copper, cadmium, zinc, and lead. Stage 1 Exposures will be started with fish at about 1 dph and continue through about 21 days and Stage 2 Exposures will be started with naïve fish about 28 dph and continue for 28 days (see Table 4 in Ingersoll 2010). To assist in the interpretation of the chronic toxicity data generated by U of S in 2008, Continuous 56-day Toxicity Tests with copper, cadmium, zinc, and lead will be conducted in these same four diluters starting with about 1 dph fish continuing past the onset of exogenous feeding (i.e., 4 replicate chambers for the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Biphasic Exposures and 4 replicate chambers for the Continuous Chronic 56-day Test). It is anticipated that control survival of white sturgeon in this Continuous Chronic 56-day Test may be low due to elevated mortality at the onset of exogenous feeding. The goal of the Continuous Chronic 56-day Tests will be to compare 56-day effect concentrations for white sturgeon or rainbow trout to effect concentrations in the: (1) USGS-Columbia Stage 1 21-day Biphasic Exposures; (2) USGS-Columbia Stage 2 28-day Biphasic Exposures; and, (3) U of S Continuous Chronic 66-day Tests started with freshly fertilized eggs. Test conditions for conducting the chronic toxicity tests are summarized in Table 4. Table 5 provides a listing of daily activities for conducting the chronic toxicity tests. Tables 7, 8 and 9 provide a summary of measures of water quality and metal chemistry for water samples collected from the chronic toxicity tests. Table 10 provides a summary of test acceptability requirements for the chronic toxicity tests.
Objectives: Conduct chronic toxicity tests with sturgeon and trout.