Test procedures for measuring the (sub)chronic effects of chemicals on
the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus
Marco Cifoni
a, b
, Diana Maria Paola Galassi
a
, Cecilia Faraloni
b
, Tiziana Di Lorenzo
b, *
a
Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
b
Institute of Ecosystem Study e CNR e National Research Council of Italy, Via Madonna del Piano10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
highlights graphical abstract
A full life-cycle protocol with the
cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus is
proposed.
The best performance was reached
on an mixed algal diet, 2 mL vials and
at 18
C.
The control full life-cycle trial lasted
51 days at 18
C.
The chronic test with a mixed algal
diet, in 2 mL vials, at 25
C lasted 42
days.
Subchronic tests at the conditions of
the chronic tests are available
options.
article info
Article history:
Received 26 October 2016
Received in revised form
30 December 2016
Accepted 31 December 2016
Available online 3 January 2017
Handling Editor: Jim Lazorchak
Keywords:
Full life-cycle tests
Freshwater copepods
Eucyclops serrulatus
Environmental risk assessment
abstract
The purpose of this study has been to describe test procedures for measuring the (sub)chronic effects of
chemicals on the freshwater cyclopoid Eucyclops serrulatus. To this end we have adapted the setting of
the standard full life-cycle protocol of the marine harpacticoid A. tenuiremis to E. serrulatus. We have
tested the effects of 4 different diets, two temperatures and two rearing volumes on the survival,
development, reproduction and population growth rates of this species. Our results have highlighted that
full life-cycle tests can be run using 2 mL-glass vials, a diet consisting of a mixture of living cells of
Chlorella sorokiniana and Scenedesmus quadricauda, at either 25
C (test duration: 42 days) or 18
C (test
duration: 51 days). However, the best performance in terms of survival, development, reproducibility and
population growth rates with this species was obtained at 18
C, albeit with significantly longer test
duration. Subchronic tests in 2 mL-glass vials with the mixture microalgal diet at both temperatures are
available options if considered appropriate for the objectives of a given study. In particular, develop-
mental tests from nauplius to copepodid may profitably be performed in about 11 days at 18
C and in 6
days at 25
C. Under the same test conditions, subchronic tests from copepodid to adult may be run in 19
days at 18
C and in 16 days at 25
C.
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
In the last fifty years, chemical pollution originating from an-
thropic activities have led to severe changes in the composition of
freshwater communities (V€ or€ osmarty et al., 2000; Allan and
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: tiziana.dilorenzo@ise.cnr.it (T. Di Lorenzo).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Chemosphere
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chemosphere
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.12.151
0045-6535/© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Chemosphere 173 (2017) 89e98