Toxicity of Hydrogen Peroxide Treatments to Rainbow Trout Eggs

Abstract

Abstract Hydrogen peroxide treatments of 0, 500, 1,000, and 3,000 μL/L, concentrations that were multiples of the Low Regulatory Priority limit of 500 μL/L, were administered for 15 min every weekday (Monday–Friday) to eggs of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout) to determine the margin of safety existing for standard egg treatments. All untreated and treated eggs remained free of fungal infection throughout incubation. Hydrogen peroxide treatment reduced the mean percent hatch of rainbow trout eggs by 1.4–5.9% among those treated at 500 μL/L, 6.8–15.4% among those treated at 1,000 μL/L, and 13.2–25.3% among those treated at 3,000 μL/L. Mean percent hatch of rainbow trout eggs treated at 1,000 μL H2O2/L was 7% lower than that for eggs treated at 500 μL H2O2/L. Mean percent hatch of Skamania strain steelhead was significantly reduced by hydrogen peroxide treatment, whereas the mean percent hatch of Ganaraska strain steelhead was similar to the mean percent hatch of rai...