1. Scope

1.1 This practice covers a procedure for estimating the fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ) 96-h LC50 of nonreactive (that is, covalently bonded without unsaturated residues) and nonelectrolytic (that is, require vigorous reagents to facilitate substitution, addition, replacement reactions and are non-ionic, non-dissociating in aqueous solutions) organic chemicals acting solely by narcosis, also referred to as Meyer-Overton toxicity relationship.

1.2 This procedure is accurate for organic chemicals that are toxic due to narcosis and are non-reactive and non-electrolytic. Examples of appropriate chemicals are: alcohols, ketones, ethers, simple halogenated aliphatics, aromatics, and aliphatic substituted aromatics. It is not appropriate for chemicals whose structures include a potential toxiphore (that structural component of a chemical molecule that has been identified to show mammalian toxicity, for example CN is known to be reponsible for inactivation of enzymes, NO 2 for decoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, both leading to mammalian toxicity). Examples of inappropriate chemicals are: carbamates, organophosphates, phenols, beta-gamma unsaturated alcohols, electrophiles, and quaternary ammonium salts.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

E729 Guide for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests on Test Materials with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians

E943 Terminology Relating to Biological Effects and Environmental Fate

E1023 Guide for Assessing the Hazard of a Material to Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses

E1147 Test Method for Partition Coefficient (N-Octanol/Water) Estimation by Liquid Chromatography

Keywords

Alcohol; Aromatic compounds; Chemicals (environmental analysis); Ether; Fathead minnow; Fishes; Hydrocarbon solvents; Ketones; LC50 test; Lethal concentrations; Meyer-Overton toxicity; Narcosis; Octanol/water partition coefficient; Organic compounds--water; Pimephales promelas ; Solvents--water applications; Test animals; Toxicity/toxicology--water environments;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 07.080 (Biology. Botany. Zoology)

DOI: 10.1520/E1242-97

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