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Sensitivity of fish embryos to weathered crude oil: Part II. Increased mortality of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) embryos incubating downstream from weathered Exxon valdez crude oil†

  1. Ron A. Heintz*,
  2. Jeffrey W. Short,
  3. Stanley D. Rice

Article first published online: 9 FEB 2010

DOI: 10.1002/etc.5620180318

Issue

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Volume 18, Issue 3, pages 494–503, March 1999

Additional Information

How to Cite

Heintz, R. A., Short, J. W. and Rice, S. D. (1999), Sensitivity of fish embryos to weathered crude oil: Part II. Increased mortality of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) embryos incubating downstream from weathered Exxon valdez crude oil. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 18: 494–503. doi: 10.1002/etc.5620180318

Author Information

  1. National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratory, 11305 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99801-8626, USA

*National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratory, 11305 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99801-8626, USA

  1. †

    The research described in this paper was supported by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. However, the findings and conclusions presented by the authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view or position of the Trustee Council.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 FEB 2010
  2. Article first published online: 9 FEB 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 15 JUN 1998
  4. Manuscript Received: 29 OCT 1997

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Keywords:

  • Toxicity;
  • Pink salmon;
  • Exxon Valdez;
  • Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons;
  • Oil spill

Abstract

We incubated pink salmon embryos under three exposure conditions, direct contact with oil-coated gravel, effluent from oil-coated gravel, and direct contact with gravel coated with very weathered oil (VWO). Embryo mortalities and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) accumulation in embryo tissues during the direct-contact and effluent exposure experiments were not significantly different, indicating that PAH accumulation was mediated by aqueous transport. Mortality rates for embryos exposed initially to a total PAH concentration (TPAH) of 1.0 ppb were significantly higher than controls when the PAH were derived from VWO. The same aqueous TPAH concentration failed to increase mortality rates when the PAH were derived from less weathered oil, indicating that toxicity of effluents from the VWO was primarily associated with the larger PAH. We conclude that water quality standards for TPAH above 1.0 ppb may fail to protect fish embryos. Further, pink salmon embryos incubating in Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill may have accumulated lethal concentrations of PAH from interstitial water that was contaminated when it percolated through oil reservoirs located upstream from salmon redds.

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