Selenious acid

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

Administrative data

Endpoint:

bioaccumulation in aquatic species: fish

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

supporting study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: No guideline study, but well performed and well documented.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Selenium uptake and transfer in an aquatic food chain and its effects on fathead minnow larvae

Author:

Bennett WN, Brooks AS, Boraas ME

Year:

1986

Bibliographic source:

Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 15: 513-517

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Laboratory study investigating the accumulation of dietary selenium by feeding selenium-laden rotifers to fish larvae.

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Selenious acid

EC Number:

231-974-7

EC Name:

Selenious acid

Cas Number:

7783-00-8

Molecular formula:

H2O3Se

IUPAC Name:

selenous acid

Details on test material:

- 75-Se selenious acid (New England Nuclear)

Radiolabelling:

yes

Sampling and analysis

Details on sampling:

ROTIFERS
- before being used in fish feeding experiments, after being exposed to selenium-laden algae: harvested from stage 3 vessel (see experimental design), washed and resuspended in 50 mL of control medium
- for selenium analysis: separated from algae (in stage 2 vessel) by filtering 40 mL samples through a 57 µm mesh Nitex screen, washed and immediately heat killed at 50 °C; filtered through 10 µm-polycarbonate filter and washed

LARVAE
- selenium-activity was measured daily by removing the larvae from the test chambers, wash them and measure 75-Se activity during 20 minutes

Test solutions

Vehicle:

no

Details on preparation of test solutions, spiked fish food or sediment:

- Lake Michigan water (as Milwaukee, WI dechlorinated tap water)

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Pimephales promelas

Details on test organisms:

FISH
- age: larvae
- obtained from breeding pairs maintained in the laboratory

ROTIFERS
- adult females obtained from existing cultures
- Brachionus calyciflorus

ALGAE
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Study design

Route of exposure:

feed

Test type:

static

Water / sediment media type:

natural water: freshwater

Total exposure / uptake duration:

7 d

Test conditions

Hardness:

no data

Test temperature:

no data

pH:

no data

Dissolved oxygen:

no data

TOC:

no data

Salinity:

not applicable

Details on test conditions:

- test vessel is a 3-stage chemostat system with
1) 3 14-L algal culture vessels
2) 3 14-L rotifer vessels (rotifers are feeding on selenium-exposed algae)
3) vessel collected overflow of rotifers at second stage (sampling see above)
- rotifers were allowed to feed on selenium-laden algae for 5 h (with a algae:rotifer ratio of 57:240 µg algae/mL to µg rotifer/mL)
- 47 fish larvae were used in this test
- larvae were initially fed rotifers raised on control algae
- at 4 days post-hatch, test fish were fed Se-contaminated rotifers for 7 days

Nominal and measured concentrations:

measured concentration in rotifers: > 70 mg/kg

Details on estimation of bioconcentration:

The biomagnification factor was calculated as the ratio of selenium concentration in fish larvae to the concentration in rotifers.

Results and discussion

Bioaccumulation factor

Type:

BMF

Value:

< 0.61 dimensionless

Basis:

whole body d.w.

Calculation basis:

steady state

Remarks on result:

other: Conc.in environment / dose:> 70 mg Se/kg

Details on kinetic parameters:

no data

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not applicable

Conclusions:

Reliable study (Klimisch 2) investigating the accumulation of dietary selenium in fathead minnow larvae. A biomagnification factor of < 0.61 was obtained for larvae fed selenium-laden rotifers for 7 days starting from 4 days post-hatch.