3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde

Short-term toxicity to fish

Administrative data

Endpoint:

short-term toxicity to fish

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study without detailed documentation

Remarks:

The test conditions are well described and are in accordance with the recognised EC and OECD test guidelines. The GLP are not mentioned.

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Acute toxicities of organic chemicals to fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Author:

Brooke LT , Call DJ, Geiger DL and Northcott CE

Year:

1984

Bibliographic source:

Center for lake Superior Environmental Studies 1984, vol I: 327-328

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

equivalent or similar to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 203 (Fish, Acute Toxicity Test)

Deviations:

not specified

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde

EC Number:

204-464-7

EC Name:

3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde

Cas Number:

121-32-4

Molecular formula:

C9H10O3

IUPAC Name:

3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde

Details on test material:

from Aldrich Chemicals Co
Purity : 97 %

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Test solutions

Vehicle:

no

Details on test solutions:

PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF TEST SOLUTION
- Method: Toxicants were proportionally diluted with lake superior water from stock solution before delivery to fish exposure chamber.
Test chemicals were prepared for proportional dilution by the diluted stock method. i e : premixed aqueous solution of desired concentration.
Stock solution: 1000 mg/L
- Controls: blank

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Pimephales promelas

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Pimephales promelas (Fathead minnow)
- Source: From US EPA Environmental Research Laboratory- Duluth
- Age at study initiation: 28 days
- Weight at study initiation: Mean: 0.034 g; SD: 0.0131 g
- Length at study initiation: Mean: 14.3 mm; SD: 2.245 mm
- Method of breeding: Adults were held at 25°C in flowing water with a 16-h light-controlled photoperiod and fed frozen adult brine shrimp. They were provided with asbestos pipe (cut in half longitudinally) as spawning substrate. Eggs were spawed and fertilized on the undersides of these substrates. The embryos were tended by the male parent until eye-up at which time the substrates with embryos attached were removed to another 25°C bath where hatching occured.
- Feeding during test: no

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: no

QUARANTINE: no data

Study design

Test type:

flow-through

Water media type:

freshwater

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

96 h

Post exposure observation period:

behaviour also reported during the test

Test conditions

Hardness:

52.2 mg/L CaCO3 (SD: 0.65) measured by the compleximetric or EDTA method

Test temperature:

24.1 °C (SD: 0.83) measured daily using partial immersion of a mercury thermometer

pH:

7.69 (SD: 0.28) measured with a meter calibrated shortly prior each test

Dissolved oxygen:

6.5 mg/L (SD: 0.41) measured with an oxygen sensitive electrode calibrated weekly using the azide modification of the winkley method

Salinity:

no data (fresh water)

Nominal and measured concentrations:

nominal concentration : 0 / 12.5 / 25 / 50 / 100 / 200 /
measured concentrations : see table 1 in "any other information"

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test vessel:
- Material, size, headspace, fill volume: 3.4 l glass open tank
- Aeration: no
- Type of flow-through: cycling proportional diluters
- Renewal rate of test solution: no data
- No. of organisms per vessel: 22 to 26 fish per tank
- No. of vessels per concentration (replicates): 2
- No. of vessels per control (replicates): 2
- No. of vessels per vehicle control (replicates): 0

WATER PARAMETERS:
- Source: Lake Superior water
- Total organic carbon:
- Metals: Al (1-26 µg/L); Cd (<0.1 µg/L); Cr (2-20 µg/L); Co (<0.5 µg/L); Cu (0.3-3.2 µg/L); Fe (2-83 µg/L); Pb (7-20 µg/L); Mn (0.2-11.5 µg/L); Ni (<0.5 µg/L); Zn (1-2.7 µg/L)
- Intervals of water quality measurement: at least once for each test.

TEST MEDIUM PARAMETERS:
- Test temperature: 24.1 °C
- dissolved oxygen: 6.5 mg/l
- hardness (CaCO3): 52.5 mg/L
- pH: 7.69

OTHER TEST CONDITIONS: no data
photoperiod : no data

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED: mortality

TEST CONCENTRATIONS
- Spacing factor for test concentrations: 2
- Range finding study
- Test concentrations: 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/L

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Duration:

96 h

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

87.6 mg/L

Nominal / measured:

meas. (geom. mean)

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality (fish)

Remarks on result:

other: 81.4 - 94.3

Details on results:

Affected fish swan at surface. Respiration and gill movements were limited. Fish were also hypoactive and lost equilibrium prior to death.

Results with reference substance (positive control):

not relevant

Reported statistics and error estimates:

no data

Any other information on results incl. tables

Sublethal observations / clinical signs:

Table 2: Mortalities observed in each exposure chamber

Hour	control		A		B		C		D		E
Initial n° of fish in each exposure chamber	26	25	25	25	23	22	26	24	25	26	25	25
1.75	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	3	2
3	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	3	4
6	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	4	6
12	1	0	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	1	21	20
24	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	0	1	22	22
29.5	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	0	1	22	22
48	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	3	1	24	24
53.5	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	3	1	24	24
72	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	3	1	25	25
77.2	1	0	0	1	2	0	3	0	3	1	25	25
96	1	0	0	1	2	1	3	0	3	1	25	25

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not specified

Conclusions:

With an EC50-96h = 87.6 mg/L for Pimephales promelas, ethylvanillin is harmful for fish.
The validity criteria were not examined by the authors but 3 of the 4 validity criteria detailled in 203 OECD guideline were fullfilled:
- mortality in the controls did not exceed 10% at the end of the test
- the test was conducted under flow through conditions
- deviation of measured concentration from nominal ones was greater than 20% BUT the results were based on measured concentrations.

Concerning oxygen concentration, it is described that "test mean concentration were maintained between 60 and 100 % of water saturation except in 12 tests" it is not clear if it is the case for ethylvanillin test.

Executive summary:

In a 96-h acute toxicity study (Brooke, 1984), Fathead Minnows (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to ethyl vanillin at nominal concentrations of 0 (control); 12.5; 25; 50; 100 & 200 mg./L under flow through conditions. 

The 96-h LC₅₀ was 87.6 mg a.i./L.  95% C.I.:  81.4 to 94.3 mg./L (based on measured concentrations)

According to directive 67/548/CEE, Ethylvanillin is considered as harmful for Pimephales promelas in the conditions tested.

Although GLP were not mentionned and validity criteria not detailled, this toxicity study satisfies the guideline requirement and is therefore considered as reliable with restrictions.