Transactions of the American Fisheries Society · 1985 · 10 citations · 0 references
Natural ResourcesAnimal SciencesFisheriesEcotoxicologyFish BehaviorFish BiologyAquatic EcotoxicologyFish HealthFish ToxicologyAquatic Organism Exposure AssessmentAquatic Toxicity TestingBehavioral Response MeasurementChronic Aquatic ToxicityComplex Mixture ToxicityFish Health EcologyFish ToxicityPhotometric Measurement
The behavioral response of fathead minnows Pimephales promelas to a water-soluble fraction (WSF) of coal liquid was evaluated in a nine-chambered circular tank (rosette). Groups of 36 fish each were tested to examine the effects of this complex organic mixture on a schooling species. Avoidance of all WSF concentrations with greater than 1.7 mg/L phenols (dye photometric measurements) occurred in 96 h replicated test series. Fish preference data were used to estimate a median avoidance concentration (AC50) of 1.54 mg/L total phenols. The observed avoidance threshold was sufficient to protect the species from acutely lethal effects reported for this coal liquid WSF, but exceeded concentrations known to be chronically toxic.