A Daphnia magna first-brood chronic test: An alternative to the conventional 21-Day chronic bioassay?

In this study a comparison was made of the results obtained in Daphnia magna chronic bioassays after first-brood release and after 21 days of exposure, using inhibition of normal reproduction and growth as effect criteria and EC10, EC20, EC50, no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC), and lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOEC) as statistical parameters. Test substances were sodium bromide (NaBr), 3,4-dichloroaniline (DCA), cadmium, and parathion. For NaBr, DCA, and cadmium, toxicity evaluated after the first-brood release was similar to toxicity evaluated after 21 days, using reproduction as end point. Parathion did not affect either reproduction or growth. Thus, LC50, NOEC, and LOEC were calculated using mortality as the endpoint for parathion. Results indicate that the period until release of the first brood is sufficient to predict the toxicity of some chemicals to D. magna. Values estimated on the basis of a logistic model (EC10, EC20, and EC50) were more appropriate than NOECs and LOECs for evaluating toxicity of the test substances. Furthermore, classic endpoints used for the evaluation of chronic toxicity (inhibition of normal reproduction and growth) may not be adequate to evaluate the sublethal toxicity of compounds that induce cumulative effects leading to mortality within the test period and causing no observable effects on the reproduction and growth of the species. Endpoints indicative of biochemical stress or effects on specific targets of the test compound may be useful in sublethal toxicity evaluation.