Comparing crude oil toxicity under standard and environmentally realistic exposures

Abstract

Standard aquatic toxicity tests do not address real-world, spiked exposure scenarios that occur during oil spills. We eveluated differences in toxicity of physically and chemically dipersed Kuwait crude oil to mysids (Mysidopsis bahia) under continous. The 96-hr LC50s for physically dipersed oil were 0.78 mg/L (continuous) and > 2.9 mg/L (spiked), measured as total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Values for chemically dispersed oil were 0.98 mg/L (continous) and 17.7 mg/L (spiked) TPH. Continuous-exposure test may overestimate the potential for toxic effect under real-world conditions by a factor of 18 or more.