Toxicity of anthracene on marine organisms and development of seawater quality criteria.

Abstract

The presence of anthracene (ANT) in coastal waters is increasingly being reported and profoundly impacts the marine biota. However, toxicity data for ANT on marine organisms are scarce to develop numerical water quality criteria to protect marine life. Therefore, for the first time, this study derived the seawater quality criteria (SWQC) of ANT are based on the toxicity values of five marine organisms. Acute and chronic toxicity values of ANT were derived on diatoms (Thalassiosira subtilis and Endomoneis paludosa), copepods (Oithona similis and Tisbe furcata), and shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). 96 h-EC₅₀ and 96 h-LC₅₀ were ranged between 23.98 ± 2.4 and 1730 ± 330 μg/L. Chronic toxicity values such as no observed effect concentration (NOEC), lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC), and chronic values ranged from 2.1 ± 0.6 to 267 ± 58 µg/L, 2.5 ± 0.8 to 400 ± 7 µg/L, and 2.4 ± 0.8 to 327 ± 71 µg/L, respectively. Seawater quality criteria, viz. predicted no effect concentration (PNEC), criterion continuous concentration (CCC), and criterion maximum concentration (CMC) were derived using NOECs, chronic values, and acute data. The criterion concentrations PNEC, CCC, and CMC can apply to sensitive/protected waters across the coastal waters and accidental spill/outfalls/discharge points in enclosed waters, respectively. The PNEC, CCC, and CMC are derived as 2.7, 8.8, and 17 µg/L, respectively, from the Australian Burrlioz SSD, whereas the USEPA SSD resulted in 3.89 µg/L of PNEC, 10.7 µg/L of CCC, and 26.7 µg/L of CMC. The Australian Burrlioz SSDs delivered sensitive SWQCs, which may ensure the protection of marine life from ANT pollution.