Selenious acid

Short-term toxicity to fish

Administrative data

Endpoint:

short-term toxicity to fish

Type of information:

migrated information: read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Well performed study. Effect concentrations based on measured Se concentrations.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Acute toxicity of selenium dioxide to freshwater fishes

Author:

Cardwell RD, Foreman DG, Payne DR, Wilbur DJ

Year:

1976

Bibliographic source:

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4: 129-144

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

EPA OPP 72-1 (Fish Acute Toxicity Test)

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Selenium dioxide

EC Number:

231-194-7

EC Name:

Selenium dioxide

Cas Number:

7446-08-4

Molecular formula:

O2Se

IUPAC Name:

oxoselane oxide

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): Selenium dioxide
- Molecular formula (if other than submission substance): SeO2
- Molecular weight (if other than submission substance): 111 g/mol
- Analytical purity: 99.5%
- Source: Research Organic/Inorganic Chemical Corp.

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Details on sampling:

-Frequency: Three to four times during bioassay
- Sampling method: Upon collection, samples of water were filtered through Whatman No. 1 paper to remove debris and acidified to insure toxicant stability

Test solutions

Vehicle:

no

Details on test solutions:

see test conditions

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Pimephales promelas

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Fathead minnow
- Source: Cultured in laboratory from brood stock obtained from US EPA's National Water Quality Laboratory in Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Age at study initiation (mean and range, SD): 1 day (yolk sac fry) or 3 months (juveniles)
- Length at study initiation: 5 mm (yolk sac fry) of 20.7 mm (juveniles)
- Weight at study initiation: 0.085 g (juveniles)
- Feeding during test: No

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: 3 days prior to exposure
- Fish were not fed during the acclimation period

Study design

Test type:

flow-through

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

96 h

Test conditions

Hardness:

151 mg /L as CaCO3

Test temperature:

24.7 ± 0.4 °C

pH:

7.80 ± 0.09

Dissolved oxygen:

7.1 ± 0.6 mg/L

Salinity:

not applicable

Nominal and measured concentrations:

Control + 5 exposure concentrations up to 54 mg SeO2/L

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel: 30.5x30.5x30.5 cm glass chambers containing 16.5 L of test solution
- Type of flow-through (e.g. peristaltic or proportional diluter): 2-L proportional diluters
- Renewal rate of test solution (frequency/flow rate): 90% renewal in 9 h
- No. of organisms per vessel: 10
- No. of vessels per concentration (replicates): 2
- No. of vessels per control (replicates): 2

TEST MEDIUM / WATER PARAMETERS
- Source/preparation of dilution water: no data
- Alkalinity: 167 ± 4 mg/L as CaCO3
- Sulfate: 8.6 mg/L

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: 12:12 (light:dark)
- Light intensity: 1010 lux

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Effect concentrations 1

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

2 060 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

Se

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other: 1-d-old yolk sac fry

Effect concentrations 2

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

5 190 µg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (not specified)

Conc. based on:

element

Remarks:

Se

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other: 3-month-old juveniles

Reported statistics and error estimates:

Probit analysis or Litchfield-Wilcoxon in case of only one partial kill.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

Reliable (Klimisch 1) study on the toxicity of selenium dioxide to Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow). The 96-h LC50 values for 1-d-old yolk sac fry and 3-month-old juveniles were 2060 and 5190 µg Se/L, respectively.