Toxicity of VX and GD in Aquatic Animals Indigenous to the Carroll Island Test Area Water
2006
Weimer, J. T. | Owens, E. J. | Samuel, J. B. | Olson, J. S. | Merkey, R. P.
This study was conducted to establish the sensitivity to VX and GD of aquatic species indigenous to the waters around Edgewood Arsenal. The bacterial and chemical characteristics of this water also were determined. The species tested with VX were the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), the white perch (Roccus americanus), and the striped bass (Roccus saxitilis). Only the white perch was tested with GD. The water was from Gunpowder River and was used at room temperature (71F). It was aerated for 24 hours before the fish and crabs were added and throughout the subsequent 24-hour observation period. No other adjustments were made. The concentration of VX required to kill 50% in 60 minutes is 215 ppm for blue crabs, 0.1 ppm for striped bass, and 0.085 ppm for white perch. The concentration of GD required to kill 50% of white perch in 60 minutes is 0.0057 ppm. It was concluded that blue crabs, white perch, and striped bass are not sensitive enough to VX to be good indicators of nerve agent contamination in their natural habitat. In degradation studies, VX was stable when added to samples of the waters around Edgewood Arsenal; GD was not stable. The waters tested had high total and coliform bacterial counts.
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