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TOX 715 ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY. Chronic Toxicity. Chronic Toxicity. Toxicity resulting from long-term exposure to a toxicant, generally at exposure levels below those that elicit acute toxicity. Chronic Toxicity.
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TOX 715ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY Chronic Toxicity
Chronic Toxicity • Toxicity resulting from long-term exposure to a toxicant, generally at exposure levels below those that elicit acute toxicity
Chronic Toxicity • Toxicity resulting from long-term exposure to a toxicant, generally at exposure levels below those that elicit acute toxicity • effects are generally sublethal
Chronic toxicity may occur when... • a toxicant is environmentally persistent and bioaccumulates
Chronic toxicity may occur when... • a toxicant is environmentally persistent and bioaccumulates • a toxicant is continuously introduced into the environment
Chronic toxicity may occur when... • a toxicant is environmentally persistent and bioaccumulates • a toxicant is continuously introduced into the environment • a toxicant persists within an organism
MATC • Maximum Acceptable Toxicant Concentration • The highest theoretical concentration of a chemical that will not elicit chronic toxicity, based upon a direct evaluation of the toxicity of the chemical. • >NOEC<LOEC
Concentration (mg/L)Survival (%)# offspring/female 100 50 0 50 100 35 25 100 50 12 80 235 6 100 250 0 90 243
Time requirements to assess chronic toxicity • Mammalian: 6 months -2 years
Time requirements to assess chronic toxicity • Mammalian: 6 months -2 years • Birds: ~6 months
Time requirements to assess chronic toxicity • Mammalian: 6 months -2 years • Birds: ~6 months • Fish: 6 months - 2 years
Time requirements to assess chronic toxicity • Mammalian: 6 months -2 years • Birds: ~6 months • Fish: 6 months - 2 years • Invertebrates: 1- 6 weeks
Endpoints • Those that can affect population sustainability
Utility of the Application Factor • Reduces the need to perform expensive or difficult chronic toxicity tests
Utility of the Application Factor • Reduces the need to perform expensive or difficult chronic toxicity tests • Assess the effects of different environmental variables on chronic toxicity
Utility of the Application Factor • Reduces the need to perform expensive or difficult chronic toxicity tests • Assess the effects of different environmental variables on chronic toxicity • Estimate chronic toxicity to species that cannot be directly evaluated
What does the MATC tell us about the chronic toxicity of a chemical?
Chemical: A B CV (mg/L) 0.005 1.0 Which chemical is more chronically toxic?
Chemical: A B CV (mg/L) 0.005 1.0 Which chemical is more chronically toxic? LC50 (mg/L) 0.009 10,000 Which chemical is more chronically toxic?
The Acute:Chronic Ratio • ACR = LC50/MATC • A measure of the chronic toxicity of a chemical
ToxicantACR Metals 50-200 Organochlorine insecticides 50-100 PCBs ~50 Organophosphate insecticides ~10 Organic solvents ~10
Chronic toxicity should be judged by... • the magnitude of the ACR
Chronic toxicity should be judged by... • the magnitude of the ACR • mechanistic information on the cause of acute and chronic toxicity
Chronic toxicity should be judged by... • the magnitude of the ACR • mechanistic information on the cause of acute and chronic toxicity • the slopes of the acute and chronic concentration-response lines
BEWARE! Estimates of chronic toxicity using abridged (short-term) assay methods