title: Monitoring the tidal Delaware River for ambient toxicity.
abstract: This study assessed ambient waters in an urbanized area of the Delaware River, to determine whether river water samples exhibited chronic lethal or sublethal toxicity when measured in laboratory experiments. Toxicity was assessed at 16 fixed stations in the main-stem river and 29 stations in tributaries of the tidal Delaware River with salinities from 0 to 15 parts per 1000 (ppt) using Pimephales promelas, Americamysis bahia, Menidia beryllina, and Ceriodaphnia dubia in 7-d tests; Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata in a 96-h test; and Hyalella azteca in a 10-d water-only test. The toxicity tests measured organism survival, growth, and reproduction. Results from testing water samples collected in 4 different y indicated that the samples from sites tested in the main-stem of the Delaware River and from the majority of its tributaries did not produce chronic toxicity. The surveys identified tributaries that warrant further assessment for toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Delaware River Basin Commission, 25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, New Jersey 08628, USA. ronald.macgillivray@drbc.state.nj.us
authors.forename: A Ronald
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Fikslin
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hoke
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nally
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003691:Delaware; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D054712:Salinity; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water