Book Description

A list of factors was developed to aid in the selection of test species for bioassay and bioaccumulation potential studies with dredged material. The list was compiled after interviews with personnel involved in dredged material testing from the Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, private consulting firms, and universities. The factors to be considered for the selection of test species included whether the organism was indigenous to the disposal site or closely related to an indigenous species; was available through collecting or purchasing; had a toxicological data base; could be maintained and cultured in the laboratory; was useful in acute, chronic, and bioaccumulation tests; was ecologically and economically important; had a wide geographic distribution, and was compatible with other test species in the test containers. For the selection of test species to determine bioaccumulation potential in the laboratory, the same factors were used with the additional considerations that the organism be large enough to provide sufficient tissue for chemical analyses and that they survive the 10-day exposure period.