Propiononitrile

Short-term toxicity to fish

Administrative data

Endpoint:

short-term toxicity to fish

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

16-20/4/1981

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

comparable to guideline study

Remarks:

Test concentrations were not anaytically confirmed.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

study report

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

1981

Report date:

1981

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 203 (Fish, Acute Toxicity Test)

Principles of method if other than guideline:

- Principle of test: valuate the acute toxicity of a chemical substance to freshwater fish under static conditions. This is achieved by determining LC50 levels of the toxicant during a 96 hour exposure period. The method is designed to yield LC50 values following 24, 48 and 96 hours of exposure.
- Short description of test conditions: The static fish bioassay was conducted in five gallon glass vessels containing 15 liters of soft reconsituted water composed of the following compounds in the amounts stated per liter of deionized water: 8 mg NaHCO3, 30 mg CaSO4, 30 mg MgSO4 and 2 mg KCl. Test vessels were kept in a water bath at 22° C (±1.0) and fish were acclimated to the dilution water and test temperature without food 48 hours prior to testing. Five concentrations of the test compound, ranging in a logarithmic series from 10 to 100 mg/l, with ten fish per concentration. The working solution was prepared in ethanol (200 proof). The control chamber received an ethanol aliquot equivalent to the highest amount used in the test solutions.
- Parameters analysed / observed: Mortality, abnormal behaviour

GLP compliance:

yes (incl. QA statement)

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Propiononitrile

EC Number:

203-464-4

EC Name:

Propiononitrile

Cas Number:

107-12-0

Molecular formula:

C3H5N

IUPAC Name:

propanenitrile

Test material form:

liquid

Specific details on test material used for the study:

SOURCE OF TEST MATERIAL
- Source and lot/batch No.of test material: Montesanto lot. #34
- Purity test date: not stated
- Purity: 96.1 %

STABILITY AND STORAGE CONDITIONS OF TEST MATERIAL
- Storage condition of test material: 4 C
- Solubility and stability of the test substance in water: 9.94% at 20 C
- Solvent: ethanol

TREATMENT OF TEST MATERIAL PRIOR TO TESTING
- Treatment of test material prior to testing: dilution in ethanol
- Dilution volume: 50 ml ethanol
-Concentration: 150 mg/ml

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

not specified

Details on sampling:

- Concentrations: 10, 18, 32, 56 and 100 mg/l
- Sampling method: not relevant as samples not collected for analytical monitoring

Test solutions

Vehicle:

yes

Details on test solutions:

PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF TEST SOLUTION (especially for difficult test substances)
- Method: direct weight diluted in 10 ml of ethanol
- Controls: 10 ml ethanol and well water
- Chemical name of vehicle (organic solvent, emulsifier or dispersant): ethanol
- Concentration of vehicle in test medium (stock solution and final test solution(s) or suspension(s) including control(s)): 0.67ml/l
- Evidence of undissolved material (e.g. precipitate, surface film, etc.): not stated in report

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Lepomis macrochirus

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Bluegill Sunfish
- Lot:#981
- Source: Osage Catfisheries, Inc. Osage Beach2 Missouri
- Length at study initiation (mean): 19 mm
- Weight at study initiation (mean): 0.12 g

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: 48h
- Acclimation conditions (same as test or not): yes
- Type and amount of food during acclimation: no food
- Health during acclimation (any mortality observed): no mortality

FEEDING DURING TEST
- Food type: no food

Study design

Test type:

static

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

96 h

Test conditions

Hardness:

45 mg/l CaC03

Test temperature:

22 °C

pH:

7.1 to 7.7

Dissolved oxygen:

9.0 to 2.0 mg/l

Conductivity:

50 µmhos/cm

Nominal and measured concentrations:

10, 18, 32, 56 and 100 mg/l

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel: Five gallon glass vessels
- Material, size, headspace, fill volume: 5 gallon glass jars containing 15 liters of solution
- No. of organisms per vessel: 10
- No. of vessels per vehicle control (replicates): 1
- Biomass loading rate: 0.8 fish per liter

TEST MEDIUM / WATER PARAMETERS
- Source/preparation of dilution water: Well Water at ABC's Aquatic Bioassay Laboratory. soft reconstituted water of the following makeup in deionized water: 48 mg/l NaHCO3, 30 mg/l CaSO4 •2H2O, 30 mg/l MgS04, and 2.0 mg/l KCl. pH: 7.3.
OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: 16/8

TEST CONCENTRATIONS
- Spacing factor for test concentrations: 10
- Range finding study: yes
- Test concentrations: 1, 10 and 100 mg/l
- Results used to determine the conditions for the definitive study: mortality

Reference substance (positive control):

yes

Remarks:

Antimycin A standard obtained from Sigma Chemical Company, Type III, crystalline, Lot 125C-0152.

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Effect concentrations 1

Key result

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

41 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

estimated

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other:

Remarks:

28-66 mg/l

Effect concentrations 2

Duration:

48 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

56 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

estimated

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other:

Remarks:

43-78 mg/l

Effect concentrations 3

Duration:

24 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

> 100 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

estimated

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Details on results:

- Observations on body length and weight:at end of the test: lenght mean 19 mm (SD .5), weight 0.12g ( SD 0.02) for control fish. No comparative data for the exposure groups.
- data on the mortality and observations is included in Table 1.

Results with reference substance (positive control):

- Results with reference substance valid: yes
- LC50: at 96h 0.00010 (0.000075-0.00014)

Reported statistics and error estimates:

5% confidence interval

Any other information on results incl. tables

Sublethal observations / clinical signs:

Table 1. Mortality and behavioural observations over 96 hours

Test concentration (mg/l)	Mortality and behavioural observations
	24 hours		48 hours		72 hours		96 hours
	Dead		Dead		Dead		Dead
Control	0	N	0	N	0	N	0	N
10	0	N	0	N	0	N	1	1SUR
18	0	N	0	N	0	N	1	1SUR
32	2	8N	2	1SUR	4	6N	5	5N
56	0	1SUR 1LOE	4	6N	4	6N	5	5SUR
1000	5	5N	9	1N	9	1N	9	1SUR

N=normal

SUR=surfacing

LOE=loss of equlibrium

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

yes

Remarks:

Oxygen concentrations at 96 hours were approximatley 2mg/l

Conclusions:

The acute toxicity of the test item to the freshwater rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) resulted in an estimated 96-hour LC50 value of 41 mg/L.

Executive summary:

The acute toxicity of Propionitrile to Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) was assessed using the methods outlined by the Committee on Methods for Toxicity Tests with Aquatic Organisms which follow the guidelines of the OECD 203. The study is considered reliable (Klimisch 2) and with GLP certification. Water quality parameters of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and ammonia were measured throughout the test and were within acceptable limits, however the test substance concentrations were not measured over the course of the study. A reference compound, Antimycin A was also tested. The fish were exposed to concentrations of 1.0, 18, 32, 56 and 100mg/l for 96 hours, with observations for mortality and other behavioural measures made every 24 hours. The estimated 96-hour LC50 (95% C. I.) for propionitrile was 41 mg/1 (28 -66 mg/1).