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Effect of the water-soluble fractions of crude, refined and waste oils on the embryonic and larval stages of the quahog clam Mercenaria sp.

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Abstract

The embryonic and larval stages of the quahog clam Mercenaria sp. were exposed to the water-soluble fractions (WSFs) of 6 oils and the effects on survival and growth rate of the various stages were noted. Kuwait crude oil was the least toxic on initial exposure to both stages, having LC50 values in excess of 10 ppm after continuous exposure to the WSF for up to 6 days. However, at 10 days, Kuwait was slightly more toxic than southern Louisiana crude oil, with both oils having LC50 values near 2 ppm. Florida Jay crude oil was much more toxic, with an LC50 of less than 1 ppm at 48 h and less than 0.2 ppm at 10 days. Two refined oils, No. 2 fuel oil and Bunker “C”, had LC50 values of 1 to 2 ppm after 48 h, while used crankcase motor oil, the most toxic oil tested, had LC50 values of 0.10 ppm or less at all exposure times. Larvae surviving exposure to water-soluble fractions of the various oils often grew at slower rates than the controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

    C. J. Byrne & J. A. Calder

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  1. C. J. Byrne
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  2. J. A. Calder
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Communicated by M.R. Tripp, Newark

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Byrne, C.J., Calder, J.A. Effect of the water-soluble fractions of crude, refined and waste oils on the embryonic and larval stages of the quahog clam Mercenaria sp.. Marine Biology 40, 225–231 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390878

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