Validity of Ambient Toxicity Tests for Predicting Biological Impact, Ohio River, Near Wheeling, West Virginia

摘要

This study was the seventh in a series of eight and was conducted on the Ohio River near Wheeling, West Virginia, which receives discharges from many industrial facilities, including large steel mills. The study area comprises about 12 km of the Ohio River upstream from Wheeling, West Virginia, in the Pike Island pool. The Ohio River is a major inland waterway and is navigable throughout its length. Ambient toxicity tests were conducted on samples from eight river stations. Biological studies were conducted at these stations and included plankton, periphyton, and benthic macroinvertebrates. The impact in the river was not large but all indicators suggest some impact at Stations 2 and 3. The toxicity to Ceriodaphnia of samples from these two stations was lowest at these stations although not statistically significant. Fathead minnow toxicity was lowest at Stations 5 and 6 but the difference compared to the station with least toxicity was no larger than between duplicates.