Technical Information Related to Developing a Saltwater Nickel 

Addendum to the Ambient Water Quality Criteria Document 

Prepared for:

Mr. John Dinice

Bergen County Utility Authority

P.O. Box 122

Foot of Merhof Road

Little Ferry, NJ 07943

Prepared by:

739 Hastings Street

Traverse City, MI 49686

Phone: (231) 941-2230

Facsimile: (231) 941-2240

E-mail: mick@glec-tc.com

June 27, 2003
Page 2

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Pamela F. Smith

(primary author)

Great Lakes Environmental Center

739 Hastings St.

Traverse City, MI 49686

Under Contract through:

Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA)

Mehrhof Rd.

P.O. Box 9

Little Ferry, NJ 07643

Tyler K. Linton

(author and document coordinator)

Great Lakes Environmental Center

1295 King Ave.

Columbus, OH 43212 
Page 3

Technical Information Related to Developing a Saltwater Nickel Addendum 

to the Ambient Water Quality Criteria Document 

(Dissolved and Total Nickel)

INTRODUCTION

National Water Quality Criteria are established by the United States Environmental Protection 

Agency (USEPA), as mandated by the Clean Water Act of 1977. The Clean Water Act further 

mandates that these criteria are to be updated as new information becomes available. The 

National Criteria Document for nickel was published by EPA in 1986, and in subsequent years 

additional relevant data have been generated. A particular shortcoming of the 1986 document is 

the long-term Criterion Continuous Concentration (CCC), which was derived using a single 

saltwater acute-chronic ratio (ACR) and two widely different freshwater ACRs. Few long-term 

chronic toxicity tests are available which meet the requirements for data to be used in the criteria 

document for saltwater organisms, and is the reason the 1986 saltwater criterion (CCC) was 

calculated using only one saltwater ACR. 

A literature search yielded new saltwater acute and chronic nickel toxicity data published since 

1986. Articles were obtained and reviewed following the “Guidelines for Deriving Numerical 

National Water Quality Criteria for the Protection of Aquatic Organisms and Their Uses” 

(Stephan et al. 1985), hereafter referred to as The Guidelines. The new data were used to 

recalculate nickel criteria for saltwater organisms using exclusively saltwater ACRs. This 

document presents the data used to derive a new saltwater criteria for nickel and the methods 

used in their recalculation.

METHODS

A thorough literature search was conducted following standardized literature search procedures. 

CAS, ECOTOX, ACQUIRE, BIOSIS and selected university data bases were searched using a 

set of key identifiers to obtain reports and articles published since 1986 (Appendix A). All 
Page 4

relevant published articles and reports were identified by title and abstract, and then hard copies 

were obtained of abstracts and journal articles that were likely to contain useful data. These 

articles and reports were reviewed and revised acute and chronic saltwater toxicity tables were 

developed consistent with those in the 1986 nickel criteria document. The revised tables were 

then used to recalculate the Criterion Maximum Concentration (CMC) and the Criterion 

Continuous Concentration (CCC), following The Guidelines.

RESULTS

The new acceptable acute and chronic toxicity data for nickel obtained in the literature search 

were used to update Tables 1, 2 and 3 of the 1986 nickel criteria document (Tables 1a, 2a and 3a, 

respectively). Based on these findings, all of the nickel concentrations listed in the revised tables 

should reflect dissolved values or their equivalent. Lussier et al. (1999) compared the total and 

dissolved metal concentration measurements for nickel (and other metals) in acute saltwater 

toxicity tests, and determined that the dissolved and total nickel concentrations measured in test 

solutions were essentially equivalent; thus criteria established for nickel based on measured and 

nominal concentrations of total nickel in solutions should be equally valid for concentrations 

based on dissolved nickel. A similar conclusion was reached by Hunt et al. (2002), who 

compared total and dissolved metal concentration measurements for nickel in acute and chronic 

saltwater toxicity tests with a fish and two invertebrate species.

CRITERION MAXIMUM CONCENTRATION (CMC)

Twenty saltwater genera, including 18 species of invertebrates and 4 species of fish, were used to 

calculate the saltwater final acute value (FAV) of 149.2 ? g/L listed in the 1986 nickel criteria 

document. The four most sensitive genera listed in the 1986 criteria document are: Heteromysis, 

Mercenaria, Mysidopsis, and Crassostrea. The Species Mean Acute Values (SMAVs) and 

Genus Mean Acute Values (GMAVs) for the four most sensitive saltwater species are provided 

below:
Page 5

GENUS SMAV (? g/L) GMAV (? g/L)

Heteromysis formosa 151.7 151.7

Mercenaria mercenaria 310 310

Mysidopsis bigelowi/bahia 634/508 567.5

Crassostrea virginica embryo 1,180 1,180

The literature published since the 1986 criteria document yielded six new genera for which 

acceptable acute nickel toxicity data now exist, and three new genera for which chronic nickel 

toxicity data exist. New saltwater genera with acceptable acute values now include: 

Americamysis (formerly Mysidopsis - a taxonomic name change since the 1986 nickel criteria 

document was written), Mytilus, Cancer, Atherinops, Strongylocentrotus, and Haliotus (Table 

1a). The new genera with acceptable chronic values include Atherinops, Mysidopsis and 

Haliotus (Table 2a). A total of four saltwater genera are now available to recalculate a new 

saltwater final acute-to-chronic ratio (FACR) value, taking into account the taxonomic change of 

Mysidopsis bahia to the genus Americamysis. 

The four most sensitive species calculated using the new GMAV’s are: 

GENUS SMAV (? g/L) GMAV (? g/L)

Haliotis rufescens* 145.5 145.5

Mysidopsis intii* 148.6 148.6

Heteromysis formosa 151.7 151.7

Mercenaria mercenaria 310.0 310.0

 *New species acute value

Three of the original four most sensitive genera remain: Mysidopsis, Heteromysis, and 

Mercenaria. Haliotis rufescens, a commercially important species, replaces Heteromysis 
Page 6

formosa as the most sensitive saltwater species, with Mysidopsis intii becoming the second most 

sensitive saltwater species. Heteromysis formosa becomes the third most sensitive species and 

Mercenaria mercenaria the fourth, with the genus Crassostrea no longer among the four most 

sensitive genera. The new GMAV calculated for the genus Mysidopsis using the new value for 

Mysidopsis intii (due to the removal of the acute values for Mysidopsis bahia and M. bigelowi as 

a consequence of the taxonomic change of both Mysidopsis bahia and Mysidopsis bigelowi to 

Americamysis) resulted in a GMAV of 148.6 ?g/L (Table 3a) relative to the original value of 

567.5 ?g/L(U.S. EPA, 1986). The GMAV recalculated for the new genus Americamysis is 570.3 

?g/L, which does not fall within the values of the top four most sensitive species.

Using the updated saltwater acute database and the method of calculation outlined in the 

Guidelines, the recalculated saltwater nickel FAV is 129.6 ?g/L; compared to the old FAV of 

149.2 ?g/L. The CMC rounded to two significant figures thus becomes 65 ? g/L. Both the FAV 

and CMC values are lower than the existing values for saltwater organisms in the nickel criteria 

document. A ranked summary of the nickel GMAVs for saltwater using the new data is 

provided in Figure 1.

CRITERION CONTINUOUS CONCENTRATION (CCC)

One saltwater species (Mysidopsis bahia) and two freshwater species (Daphnia magna and 

Pimephales promelas), were used to calculate the FACR in the 1986 national criteria document 

for nickel because there was only one acceptable saltwater ACR available at that time. 

 ACR Values Used in the 1986 National Nickel Criteria Document to Calculate the CCC

Species

Acute Value 

(?g/L)

Chronic Value 

(?g/L)

Acute

Chronic Ratio 

(ACR)

Fathead Minnow, Pimephales 

promelas (freshwater)

12,035 338.30 35.58
Page 7

Species

Acute Value 

(?g/L)

Chronic Value 

(?g/L)

Acute

Chronic Ratio 

(ACR)

Water Flea, Daphnia magna

(freshwater)

2,580 86.55 29.86

Mysid, Mysidopsis bahia 508 92.75 5.478

FACR = 17.99

However, three new chronic nickel toxicity values for three different saltwater organisms have 

been reported since the 1986 national criteria document was published (Table 2a). The addition 

of these new chronic values with their corresponding acute toxicity values listed above allows for 

the calculation of a new CCC using only saltwater species data. The three new genera include a 

marine fish Atherinops affinis, the shrimp Mysidopsis intii, and the commercially important 

bivalve Haliotis rufescens. In addition, the taxonomic change of Mysidopsis bahia adds the 

genus Americamysis to the list. 

ACR Values Used to Calculate the CCC for Saltwater Organisms for the Addendum

Species

Acute Value 

(?g/L)

Chronic Value 

(?g/L)

Acute

Chronic Ratio 

(ACR)

Topsmelt

Atherinops affinis

26,560 4,270 6.220

Mysid

Americamysis bahia*

513 92.75 5.478**

Mysid

Mysidopsis intii

148.6 22.09 6.727

Red abalone

Haliotis rufescens

145.5 26.43 5.505

FACR = 5.960

* Formerly Mysidopsis bahia value as reported in the 1986 national criteria document.
Page 8

** The ACR is not calculated using the new acute value of 513; the ACR value in the 1986 criteria document is used because the 

Guidelines state that the ACR should be calculated using acute and chronic data from the same test, if possible.

The ACR values calculated using the new acute and chronic nickel toxicity data are all very 

similar to one another, ranging from 5.478-6.727. This is in contrast to the freshwater ACR 

values used in the 1986 nickel criteria document, which are 29.86 for Daphnia magna and 35.58 

for Pimephales promelas. The ACRs for the two freshwater species are as much as 6.5 times 

higher than the saltwater ACR values. 

The CCC recommended in this document is calculated by dividing the FAV by the FACR. The 

FACR calculated as the geometric mean of only the four saltwater ACR values is 5.960, 

compared to the 17.99 ACR presented in the 1986 criteria document. Therefore, using the new 

saltwater nickel toxicity data the CCC increases to 22 ? g/L, compared to the 8.3 ? g/L value 

calculated in the 1986 criteria document, which relies on the greatly different ACR values for the 

two freshwater species. Thus, the recalculated CCC using exclusively saltwater genera is nearly 

three times greater than the CCC in the 1986 criteria document. The recalculated CCC is close 

to the chronic value of 22.09 ? g/L for M. intii, and lower than the value of 26.43 ? g/L for 

commercially important abalone H. rufescens. A ranked summary of the nickel chronic values 

for saltwater organisms using the new data is provided in Figure 1 along with the corresponding 

GMAVs for those species.

OTHER DATA

Other nickel toxicity data deemed not acceptable for use in calculating saltwater criteria per The 

Guidelines included 48-hour acute nickel toxicity studies using the amphipod, Ampelisca abdita

(Ho et al. 1999), and 7-day lethality studies with the quahog clam, Mercenaria mercenaria

(Keppler and Dingwood, 2002) and yellow crab, Cancer anthonyi (MacDonald et al. 1988). The 

7-day EC50 for nickel using M. mercenaria was 1,440 ? g /L, while no significant mortality was 

exhibited by yellow crabs up to 10,000 ? g/L (Table 6a). The 48-hour acute nickel toxicity tests 

with A. abdita were conducted at three different pH levels. The IC50 values associated with the 

tests were 7,660, >10,100 and 9,400 ?g/L at pH 6,7, and 8, respectively. From these data, pH 

does not appear to substantially increase or decrease nickel toxicity to this particular saltwater 
Page 9

species.

UNUSED DATA

The following studie s were classified not acceptable following The Guidelines and therefore 

were not used to calculate the criteria values presented in this document. In the studies 

conducted by Armstrong et al. (1993) and Hardin et al.(1992) excised tissues were exposed to 

nickel and transplanted back into the living organism. Only two exposure concentrations were 

employed in the testing procedures utilized by Lussier et al. (1999), and Taylor et al. (1985) only 

assessed the toxicity of nickel on two non-resident marine fish species.

NATIONAL CRITERIA

In light of this new information GLEC recommends that EPA consider the following language 

for its national criterion: The procedures described in the Guidelines, (except possibly when a 

locally important species is unusually sensitive) should protect saltwater aquatic life if the fourday average dissolved concentration of nickel does not exceed 22 ? g/L more than once every 

three years on the average, and if the 24-hour average dissolved concentration does not exceed 

65 ?g/L more than once every three years on the average. There are currently insufficient data to 

establish whether nickel toxicity is salinity-dependent; therefore, the 24-hour average 

concentration is assumed to be protective at both low and high salinities.

These criteria were developed following U.S. EPA guidance which states that using dissolved 

nickel provides the most scientifically correct basis upon which to establish water-column 

criteria for nickel. It is recognized that a small fraction of dissolved nickel in organic-rich water 

may be less toxic than freely dissolved nickel. On the other hand, some particulate forms of 

nickel might contribute to nickel loading of organisms, possibly through ingestion. 

We also advocate a return interval of three years consistent with the Agency’s general 

recommendation. The resilience of ecosystems and their ability to recover differ greatly, 

however, and site-specific criteria should be established if adequate justification is provided.
Page 10

The use of criteria in designing waste treatment facilities requires the selection of an appropriate 

wasteload allocation model. Dynamic models are preferred for the application of these criteria. 

Limited data or other factors may make their use impractical, in which case one should rely on a 

steady-state model. We recommend the interim use of 1Q5 or 1Q10 for Criterion Maximum 

Concentration (CMC) design flow, and 7Q5 or 7Q10 for the Criterion Continuous Concentration 

(CCC) design flow in steady-state models for unstressed and stressed systems, respectively. 

These matters are discussed in more detail in the USEPA Technical Support Document for Water 

Quality-Based Toxics Control (document No. 50512-90-001).
Page 11

Figure 1. Ranked Summary of Saltwater Nickel GMAVs with Corresponding 

Chronic Values of Four Species Graphed below Their Respective GMAVs

1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

1000000

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

% Rank of GMAVs

Nickel Effect Concentration (ug/L)

Saltwater Invertebrates

Saltwater Fish Species

Criterion Maximum Concentration = 65 ug/L nickel

Saltwater Final Acute Value = 129.6 ug/L

d

Criterion Continuous Concentration = 21.7 ug/L 

 X = chronic value

x

x

x x
Page 12

REFERENCES 

FOR DATA USED IN THE SALTWATER NICKEL CRITERIA ADDENDUM

Garman, G.D., S.L. Anderson and G.N. Cherr. 1977. Developmental abnormalities and DNAprotein crosslinks in sea urchin embryos exposed to three metals. Aquat. Toxicol. 39:247-265.

Ho, K.T., A. Kuhn, M.C. Pelletier, T.L. Hendricks and A. Helmstetter. 1999. pH dependent 

toxicity of five metals to three marine organisms. Environ. Toxicol. 14:235-240.

Hunt, J.W., B.S. Anderson, B.M. Phillips, R.S. Tjeerdema, H.M. Puckett, M. Stephenson, D.W. 

Tucker and D. Watson, 2002. Acute and chronic toxicity of nickel to marine organisms: 

Implications for water quality criteria. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. Vol. 21, No. 11, pp. 2423-2430.

Keppler, C.J. and A.H. Ringwood. 2002. Effects of metal exposures on juvenile clams, 

Mercenaria mercenaria. Bull. Environ.Contam.Toxicol. 68:43-48.

Lussier, S.M., W.S. Boothman, S.Poucher, D. Champlin and A. Helmstetten. 1999. Comparison 

of dissolved and total metals concentrations from acute tests with saltwater organisms. Environ. 

Toxicol. Chem. Vol. 18. No.5, pp. 889-898.

Macdonald, J.M., J.D. Shields and R.K. Zimmer-Faust. 1988. Acute toxicities of eleven metals 

to early life-history stages of the yellow crab Cancer anthonyi. Mar. Biol. 98: 201-207.

Martin, M., K.E. Osborn, P. Billig and N. Glickstein. 1981. Toxicities of ten metals to 

Crassostrea gigas and Mytilus edulis embryos and Cancer magister larvae, Mar. Pollut. 

Bull. Vol. 12, No. 9, pp.303-308.

Stephen, C.E., D.I. Mount, D.J. Hansen, J.H. Gentile, G.A. Chapman and W.A. Brungs. 1985. 

Guidelines for deriving numerical national water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic 
Page 13

organisms and their uses. PB85-227049. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, 

VA, USA.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1986. Ambient water quality criteria for nickel. Office 

of Water, Washington, DC.
Page 14

APPENDIX A

FOR DATA NOT USED IN THE SALTWATER NICKEL CRITERIA ADDENDUM

Armstrong, N., J. Hardin and D.R. McClay. 1993. Cell-cell interactions regulate skeleton 

formation in the sea urchin embryo. Development 119, 833-840.

(The tests were conducted without using whole living organisms: tissues were removed 

exposed to nickel and then transplanted back into the organism.)

Hardin, J., J.A. Coffman, S.D. Black and D.R. McCla14y. 1992. Commitment along the 

dorsoventral axis of the sea urchin embryo is altered in response to NiCl2. Development 116, 

671-685.

(The tests were conducted without using whole living organisms: tissues were removed 

exposed to nickel and then transplanted back into the organism.)

Lussier, S.M., W.S. Boothman, S.Poucher, D. Champlin, and A. Helmstetten. 1999. Comparison 

of dissolved and total metals concentrations from acute tests with saltwater organisms. Environ. 

Toxicol. Chem. Vol. 18. No.5, pp. 889-898.

( Only two exposure concentrations were included in the testing procedure.)

Taylor, D., B.G. Maddock and G. Mance. 1985. The acute toxicity of nine “grey list” metals 

(arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, vanadium and zinc) to two marine fish 

species: Dab (Limanda limanda) and Grey Mullet (Chelon labrosus). Aquat. Toxicol. 7: 135-

144

(Non-resident species)
Page 15

Table 1a. Acute Toxicity of Nickel to Aquatic Animals - Saltwater (new data are bolded).

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Polychaete worm (adult), 

Nereis arenaceodentata

S,U Nickel 

chloride

- 49,000 49,000 Petrich and Reish 1979

Polychaete worm (adult), 

Nereis virens

S,U Nickel

chloride

20 25,000 25,000 Eisler and Hennekey 

1977

Polychaete worm (adult), 

Ctenodrilus serratus

S,U Nickel 

chloride

- 17,000 17,000 Petrich and Reish 1979

Polychaete worm (adult), 

Capitella capitata

S, U Nickel 

chloride

- >50,000 >50,000 Petrich and Reish 1979

Mud snail (adult), 

Nassarius obsoletus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 72,000 72,000 Eisler and Hennekey 

1977

Eastern Oyster (embryo),

Crassostrea virginica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 1,180 1,180 Calabrese et al. 1973
Page 16

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Pacific oyster

Crassostrea gigas

S,M Nickel 

sulfate

34 (20?C) 349 349 Martin et al. 1981

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

15 (5?C) 100,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (5?C) 380,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (5?C) 700,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

15 (10?C) 95,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (10?C) 560,000 - Bryant et al. 1985
Page 17

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (15?C) 1,100,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

15 (15?C) 110,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (15?C) 180,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Clam,

Macoma balthica

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (15?C) 540,000 294,500 Bryant et al. 1985

Quahog clam (embryo), 

Mercenaria mercenaria

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 310 310 Calabrese and Nelson 

1974

Soft-shell clam (adult), 

Mya arenaria

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 320,000 - Eisler and Hennekey 

1977
Page 18

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Soft-shell clam (adult), 

Mya arenaria

S, U Nickel 

chloride

30 >50,000 320,000 Eisler 1977a

Blue bay mussel

Mytilus edulis

S, M Nickel 

sulfate

34 (17?C) 891 891 Martin et al. 1981

Red abalone

Haliotis rufescens

F, M Not 

reported

34 (15?C) 145.5 145.5 Hunt et al. 2002

Copepod (adult), 

Eurytemora affinis

S, U Nickel 

chloride

30 13,180 - Lussier and Cardin 1985

Copepod (adult), 

Eurytemora affinis

S, U Nickel 

chloride

30 9,593 11,240 Lussier and Cardin 1985

Copepod (adult),

Acartia clausi

S, U Nickel 

chloride

30 3,466 3,466 Lussier and Cardin 1985
Page 19

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Copepod (adult),

Nitocra spinipes

S, U Nickel 

chloride

7 6,000 6,000 Bengtsson 1978

Mysid (juvenile),

Heteromysis formosa

30 151.7 151.7 Gentile et al. 1982

Mysid (juvenile)

Mysidopsis bahia

Americamysis bahia

F,M Nickel 

chloride

30 508 - Gentile et al. 1982;

Lussier et al. 1985

Mysid (juvenile),

Americamysis 

(Mysidopsis) bahia

 S, M Not 

reported

30 (20?C) IC50:

pH 6 - 310

pH 7 - 610

pH 8- 720

513 Ho 1999

Mysid (juvenile), 

Americamysis

(Mysidopsis) bigelowi

S, M Nickel 

chloride

30 634 634 Gentile et al, 1982
Page 20

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Mysid

Mysidopsis intii

F, M Not 

reported

34 (20?C) 148.6 148.6 Hunt et al. 2002

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

5 (5?C) 5,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

10 (10?C) 21,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

15 (5?C) 18,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (5?C) 36,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (5?C) 54,000 - Bryant et al. 1985
Page 21

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

5 (10?C) 8,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

10 (10?C) 15,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

 15 (10?C) 22,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (10?C) 24,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (10?C) 52,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

5 (15?C) 5,600 - Bryant et al. 1985
Page 22

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel

chloride

10 (15?C) 16,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

15 (15?C) 18,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

25 (15?C) 22,000 - Bryant et al. 1985

Amphipod, 

Corophium volutator

S, U Nickel 

chloride

35 (15?C) 34,000 18,950 Bryant et al. 1985

Hermit crab (adult),

Pagurus longicarpus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 47,000 47,000 Eisler and Hennekey 

1977

Dungeness crab

Cancer magister

S, M Nickel 

sulfate

34 (15?C) 4,360 4,360 Martin et al. 1981
Page 23

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Starfish (adult),

Asterias forbesii

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 150,000 150,000 Eisler and Hennekey 

1977

Purples sea urchin

Strongylocentrotus 

purpuratus

S, U Nickel 

chloride 

34 (15?C) 2,500 2,500 Garman et al. 1997

Mummichog (adult),

Fundulus heteroclitus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

6.9 55,000 - Dorfman 1977

Mummichog (adult),

Fundulus heteroclitus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

21.6 175,000 - Dorfman 1977

Mummichog (adult),

Fundulus heteroclitus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 350,000 149,900 Eisler and Hennekey 

1977

Atlantic silverside (larva),

Menidia menidia

S, U Nickel 

chloride

30 7,958 7,958 Cardin 1985
Page 24

Species MethodA Chemical

Salinity g/kg

(temperature)

LC50/EC50

(? g/L)B

 Species 

Mean Acute 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Tidewater silverside 

(juvenile), 

Menidia peninsulae

S, U Nickel 

chloride

20 38,000 38,000 Hansen 1983

Striped bass (63 day),

Morone saxatillis

S, U Nickel 

chloride

1 21,000 21,000 Palawski et al. 1985

Spot (juvenile),

Leiostomus zanthurus

S, U Nickel 

chloride

21 70,000 70,000 Hansen 1983

Topsmelt

Atherinops affinis

F, M Not 

reported

34 (20?C) 26,560 26,560 Hunt et al. 2002

A

 S = static; R = renewal; F = flow-through; M = Measured; U = unmeasured.

B Results are expressed as nickel, not as the chemical.
Page 25

Table 2a. Chronic Toxicity of Nickel to Aquatic Animals - Saltwater (new data are bolded).

Species TestA Chemical

Salinity 

(g/kg)

Limits 

(? g/L)B

Chronic 

Value (? g/L) Reference

Mysid, 

Americamysis

(Mysidopsis) bahia

LC Nickel 

chloride

30 61-141 92.74 Gentile et al. 1982; 

Lussier et al. 1985

Mysid

Mysidopsis intii

LC Not 

reported

34 (20?C) 10.0-48.8 22.09 Hunt et al. 2002

Red abalone

Haliotis rufescens

LC Not 

reported

34 (15?C) 21.5-32.5 26.43 Hunt et al. 2002

Topsmelt

Atherinops affinis

LC Not 

reported

34 (20?C) 3,240-5,630 4,270 Hunt et al. 2002

A

 LC = Life-cycle or partial life-cycle.

B

 Results are based on measured concentrations of nickel; limits are reported No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) and Lowest Observed Effect Concentration (LOEC).
Page 26

Table 3a. Ranked GMAVs with Species Mean Acute Chronic Ratios for the Saltwater Nickel Criteria (new data are 

bolded).

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

26 320,000 Soft-shell clam

Mya arenaria

320,000

25 294,500 Clam

Macoma balthica

294,500

24 150,000 Starfish

Asterias forbessii

150,000

23 149,900 Mummichog

Fundulus heteroclitus

149,900

22 72,000 Mud snail

Nassarius obsoletus

72,000
Page 27

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

21 70,000 Spot

Leiostomus 

xanthurus

70,000

20 >50,000 Polychaete worm

Capitella capitata

>50,000

19 47,000 Hermit crab

Pagurus longicarpus

47,000

18 35,000 Polychaete worm

Nereis 

arenaceodentata

49,00

Polychaete worm

Nereis virens

25,000

17 26,560 Topsmelt

Atherinops affinis

26,560 6.220
Page 28

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

16 21,000 Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

21,000

15 18,950 Amphipod

Corophium volutator

18,950

14 17,390 Atlantic silverside

Menidia menidia

7,958

Tidewater silverside

Menidia peninsulae

38,000

13 17,000 Polychaete worm

Ctenodrilus serratus

17,000

12 11,240 Copepod

Eurytemora affinis

11,240
Page 29

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

11 6,000 Copepod

Nitocra spinipes

6,000

10 4,360 Dungeness crab

Cancer magister

4,360

9 3,466 Copepod

Acartia clausi

3,466

8 2,500 Purple sea urchin

Strongylocentrotus 

purpuratus

2,500

7 891 Bay mussel

Mytilus edulis

891

6 641.7 Eastern oyster

Crassostrea virginica

1,180
Page 30

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

Pacific oyster

Crassostrea gigas

349

5 570.3 Mysid

Americamysis bahia

513 5.478

Mysid

Americamysis

bigelowi

634

4 310 Quahog clam

Mercenaria 

mercenaria

310

3 151.7 Mysid

Heteromysis formosa

151.7

2 148.6 Mysid

Mysidopsis intii

148.6 6.727
Page 31

Rank A

Genus Mean Acute Value

(? g/L) Species

Species Mean Acute Value

(? g/L)B

Species Mean

Acute-Chronic

RatioC

1 145.5 Red abalone

Haliotis rufescens

145.5 5.505

A Ranked from most resistant to most sensitive based on Genus Mean Acute Value. Inclusion of “greater than” values does not necessarily imply a true ranking, but does allow 

use of all genera for which data are available so that the Final Acute Value is not unnecessarily lowered.

B From Table 1

C From Table 2
Page 32

Table 6a. Other Data on Effects of Nickel on Aquatic Saltwater Organisms (published since the 1986 National Criteria 

Document).

Species Chemical Salinity 

(g/kg)

Duration Effect Concentration Reference

Nickel 30 48-hours IC50 7,660 (pH 6.0) Ho et al. 1999

Nickel 30 48-hours IC50 >10,100 (pH 7.0) Ho et al. 1999

Amphipod

Ampelisca abdita

Nickel 30 48-hours IC50 9400 (pH 8.0) Ho et al. 1999

Quahog clam

Mercenaria mercenaria

Nickel chloride 25 7-days EC50 1,440 Keppler and 

Ringwood 2002

Yellow crab

Cancer anthonyi

Nickel chloride 34 7-Days mean % 

mortality

?10,000 (49.3% 

mortality) 

MacDonald et al. 

1988

A

Study determined no differences between dissolved and total measurements for the range-finding tests and used total measurements for the definitive tests.