Bio-assay Methods for the Evaluation of Acute Toxicity of Industrial Wastes to Fish

i Representing the U. S. Public Health Service (Cincinnati, Ohio), the West Virginia University, the New York State Conserva tion Department, the U. S. Fish and Wild life Service, the Atlantic Refining Company, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila delphia, the Foundation of Applied Research, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (for merly; now with the U. S. Public Health Service), and the Institute of Paper Chemis try, respectively. The interest and helpful advice of Dr. W. Rudolfs, chairman of the Research Committee, the consultants named below, and many others who lent assistance and encouragement in the course of the prepa ration of this report, are gratefully acknowl edged. Consultants who participated in dis cussions throughout one or more committee meetings or reviewed progress reports and submitted critical comments were: J. B. Anderson, E. F. Eldridge, J. Greenbank, C. Henderson, C. L. Hubbs, M. Katz, C. B. Kelly, S. F. Snieszko, C. M. Tarzwell, and J. S. Wiley. rate without causing direct injury to fish and other organisms in the receiv ing water. If damage to fish life al r ady has been observed, one can judge whether it is attributable to the toxicity of a particular waste, waste co ponent, or combination of wastes, or is ascribable to other causes. When it has been determined that the dis charge of a certain waste has been in jurious or would be dangerous to valu able aquatic life, treatment of that waste or some other method of safe disposal should, of course, be devised. It is not the purpose of this report to consider or suggest methods of dis posal and treatment of toxic wastes. However, the data obtained through the use of the recommended bio-assay procedures can be very helpful in de ciding how much treatment is required and what methods are appropriate. The degrees of treatment and dilution necessary obviously depend on the de gree of toxicity. Finally, the bio-assay procedures can be used to test the ef fectiveness of any treatment provided. The value of such biological tests of waste quality, in connection with the control of waste disposal and treat ment, has been increasingly realized and has been discussed very recently elsewhere (2) (7). Chemical examina