DOI: 10.6073/pasta/a17c9fcaf879c546c0d721877747b4c3
title: Interlaboratory testing of CuSO4 toxicity in the “Standardized Aquatic Microcosm” protocol consisting of multiple phytoplankton and animals in a chemically defined medium.

description: Four different laboratories conducted a total of ten experiments of the “Standardized Aquatic Microcosm” to test the reproducibility of results to control, low, medium, and high concentrations of CuSO4. In nine experiments, treatments consisted of six replicates of 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 ppb Cu++. One experiment, ME74, used 0, 127, 255, 509 ppb. The purpose was to test a chemically defined medium (thus negating differences due to local water supplies) and the same 10 species of phytoplankton and 5 animals, including Daphnia. Microbes were undefined. The protocol included the weekly re-introduction of small numbers of each species to allow potential recovery from toxicity. Control microcosms had a “spring algal bloom” terminated by zooplankton grazing and multiple competitive interactions. The copper inhibited some phytoplankton more than others and killed many grazers, especially Daphnia. The data set presented several interesting statistical properties that would yield new insights. (a) The results were very similar, but the timing varied— the higher the concentration of copper, the longer the inhibition and mortality of organisms, so those at 500 ppb recovered earlier, the 1000 ppb recovered later, and at 2000 ppb most never recovered. But if compared on each sampling day, e.g., 10, 14, … to 64, results appear highly variable. (b) In at least one experiment, the toxicity of copper was challenging to demonstrate statistically because high variability in the timing of recovery of the intermediate concentration increased pooled variances. (c) The elimination of highly-sensitive dominant organisms allowed less-sensitive organisms to increase in abundance. Within natural environments, the observation that some species increase in the presence of toxic substances has been used to discredit toxicity testing without considering the relative sensitivities of competing or predatory species. (d) The competitive interactions among organisms, e.g., cyanobacteria and green algae, may provide new insights. More data are available than fit the format, and those interested should contact taub@uw.edu. Related papers Conquest, L. L., and F. B. Taub. 1989. Repeatability and reproducibility of the standardized aquatic microcosm: Statistical properties. Pages 159-177 in A. S. 1027, editor. Aquatic Toxicology and Hazard Assessment: 12th Volume. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia. Harrass, M. C., and F. B. Taub. 1985. Comparison of laboratory microcosms and field responses to copper. Pages 57-74 in T. P. Boyle, editor. Validation and Predictability of Laboratory Methods for Assessing the Fate and Effects of Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems, ASTM STP 865. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia. Kindig, A. C., F. B. Taub, and L. L. Conquest. 1984. Interlaboratory repeatability of experimental effects in laboratory microcosms.in 8th ASTM Symposium on Aquatic Toxicology, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Meador, J. P. 1988. The Chemical and Biological Factors Associated with Ecosystem Recovery from Copper Stress as Exemplified by Microcosms. University of Washington https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/chemical-biological-factors-associated-with/docview/303592933/se-2?accountid=14784 Meador, J. P., T. H. Sibley, G. L. Swartzman, and F. B. Taub. 1998. Resistance to copper toxicity by the freshwater algal species Oocystis pusilla and its ability to alter free ion copper. Aquatic Toxicology 44:69-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-445X(98)00067-8 Meador, J. P., F. B. Taub, and T. H. Sibley. 1993. Copper dynamics and the mechanism of ecosystem level recovery in a standardized aquatic microcosm. Ecological Applications 3:139-155. https://doi.org/1941797 Rose, K. A., G. L. Swartzman, A. C. Kindig, and F. B. Taub. 1988. Stepwise iterative calibration of a multispecies phytoplankton-zooplankton simulation model using laboratory data. Ecological Modelling 42:1-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3800(88)90089-0 Swartzman, G. L., F. B. Taub, J. Meador, C. Huang, and A. C. Kindig. 1990. Modeling the effect of algal biomass on multispecies aquatic microcosms response to copper toxicity. Aquatic Toxicology 17:93-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(90)90025-K Taub, F. 1989. Standardized aquatic microcosm development and testing. Pages 47-94 in A. Boudou and F. Ribeyre, editors. Aquatic Ecotoxicology. CRC Press, Inc. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781351069854-3/standardized-aquatic-microcosm-development-testing-taub Taub, F. 1983. Direct and indirect effects of test chemicals displayed by synthetic, aquatic microcosms. Presented at the Society of Enivronmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), 2nd Annual Meeting, Arlington, Virginia. Taub, F. B. 1985. Toward interlaboratory (round-robin) testing of a standardized aquatic microcosm. Pages 165-186 in J. Cairns Jr, editor. Multispecies Toxicity Testing. Pergamon Press, U.K. Taub, F. B. 1993. Standardizing an Aquatic Microcosm Test. Pages 159-188 in A. Soares and P. Calow, editors. Progress in Standardization of Aquatic Toxicity Tests. Pergamon Press. Taub, F. B. 1997a. Are ecological studies relevant to pesticide registration decisions? Ecological Applications 7:1083-1085. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2641194 Taub, F. B. 1997b. Unique information contributed by multispecies systems: Examples from the standardized aquatic microcosm. Ecological Applications 7:1103-1110. https://doi.org/2641198 Taub, F. B., A. C. Kindig, and L. L. Conquest. 1986. Preliminary results of interlaboratory testing of a standardized aquatic microcosm. Pages 93-120 in J. Cairns Jr, editor. Community Toxicity Testing. American Society for Testing Materials, Philadelphia. Taub, F. B., A. C. Kindig, and L. L. Conquest. 1988a. Interlaboratory testing of a standardized aquatic microcosm. Pages 384-405 in W. J. Adams, G. A. Chapman, and W. G. Landis, editors. Aquatic Toxicology and Hazard Assessment. American Society for Testing Materials, Philadelphia. Taub, F. B., A. C. Kindig, L. L. Conquest, and J. P. Meador. 1988b. STANDARDIZED AQUATIC MICROCOSMS - ECOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO TOXICANTS. Aquatic Toxicology 11:422-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(88)90124-5 Taub, F. B., A. C. Kindig, L. L. Conquest, and J. P. Meador. 1989. Results of interlaboratory testing of the standardized aquatic microcosm protocol. Pages 368-394 in G. W. Suter II and M. A. Lewis, editors. Aquatic Toxicology and Hazard Assessment, ASTM STP 1007. American Society for Testing Materials, Philadelphia. Taub, F. B., A. C. Kindig, J. P. Meador, and G. L. Swartzman. 1991. Effects of â seasonal successionâ nand grazing on copper toxicity in aquatic microcosms. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010 24:2205-2214. https://doi.org/10.1080/03680770.1989.11899926 Taub, F. B., P. L. Read, A. C. Kindig, M. C. Harrass, H. J. Hartmann, L. L. Conquest, F. J. Hardy, and P. T. Munro. 1983. Demonstration of the ecological effects of streptomycin and malathion on synthetic aquatic microcosms. Pages 5-25 in W. E. Bishop, R. D. Cardwell, and B. B. Heidolph, editors. Aquatic Toxicology and Hazard Assessment: Sixth Symposium. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA.