Table 1.
Cadmium LC50 or EC50 4-d acute value estimates for white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
| Species | Life stage (dph) | Average fish weighta (g) | Average fish lengtha (cm) | LC50 (µg/L), mortality onlyb | EC50 (µg/L), mortality + LOE + immobilizationb | Hardness-normalizedc LC50 or EC50 (µg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon | ||||||
| 2 | 0.03 (0.0) | NM | >47.2 | >47.2 | >25.72 | |
| 16d | 0.04 (0.01) | 21.1 (0.74) | >187 | >187 | >104.61 | |
| 30 | 0.17 (0.04) | 30.6 (1.58) | >355 | 102.72 (65.74–160.5) | 54.63 | |
| 44 | 0.48 (0.10) | 45.7 (4.45) | NE | NE | NE | |
| 61 | 1.15 (0.38) | 62.5 (7.69) | <34.4 | <34.4 | <18.08 | |
| 72e | 1.89 (0.54) | 75.6 (8.38) | >149.5 | 5.61 (2.96–10.64) | 3.02 | |
| 89 | 3.73 (1.06) | 97.57 (10.48) | >273.5 | <17 | <9.3 | |
| Trout | ||||||
| 1 | 0.08 (0.12) | 14.3 (1.74) | >49.40 | >49.40 | >26.91 | |
| 18 | 0.1 (0.02) | 24.33 (1.06) | 2.89 (2.22–3.75) | 2.89 (2.22–3.75) | 1.56 | |
| 32 | 0.12 (0.03) | 26.67 (1.97) | 4.83 (4.28–5.44) | 4.83 (4.28–5.44) | 2.55 | |
| 46e | 0.22 (0.06) | 32.1 (2.23) | 2.77 (2.05–3.73) | 2.77 (2.05–3.73) | 1.47 | |
| 60 | 0.33 (0.06) | 37.1 (2.08) | 3.71 (3.27–4.19) | 3.48 | 1.88 | |
| 74 | 0.42 (0.13) | 40.3 (3.47) | 4.54 (4.10–5.03) | 4.54 (4.10–5.03) | 2.62 | |
| 95 | 0.7 (0.18) | 45.43 (3.89) | 2.96 (2.19–4.01) | 2.96 (2.19–4.01) | 1.61 | |
Values in parentheses for average fish weight and average fish length (n = 10 for white sturgeon; n = 30 for rainbow trout) are the standard deviation.
Values in parentheses for LC50s and EC50s are the 95% confidence intervals.
The USEPA 52 AWQC FAV was 4.0 µg/L, and the USEPA 51 AWQC FAV was 7.4 µg/L for 100 mg/L hardness water. The Washington State Department of Ecology 50 water quality standards are based upon USEPA 51.
Control survival for the 16 dph test was less than 90 percent, thus the EC50 calculation is not definitive.
The most sensitive life stage for the respective species.
LC50 = median lethal concentration; EC50 = median effective concentration; dph = days posthach; LOE = loss of equilibrium; NM = not measured; NE = not estimated; USEPA = US Environmental Protection Agency; AWQC = acute water-quality criteria; FAV = final acute value.