Development of a chronic sublethal sediment bioassay using the estuarine amphipod leptocheirus plumulosus (shoemaker)

摘要

Baaed on the need for a test to evaluate chronic sublethal toxicity in estuarine sediments, a 28-d sediment bioassay with the estuarine amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus (Shoemaker) was developed. The test was initiated with animals less than 2 weeks old (i.e., 425-600 μm sieved size class). Test endpoints included survival, growth (μg dry weight/d), and reproduction (number of neonates/surviving female). Factors with the potential to influence test animal performance (i. e., nontreatment factors) such as artificial sea salts, salinity, food ration, size at test initiation, intraspecific density, sediment grain size, and diet were evaluated.