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Acute toxicity of runoff from sealcoated pavement to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas

Barbara Mahler·Christopher G. Ingersoll·Peter C. Van Metre·James L. Kunz·Edward E. Little
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Abstract

Runoff from coal-tar-based (CT) sealcoated pavement is a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and N -heterocycles to surface waters. We investigated acute toxicity of simulated runoff collected from 5 h to 111 days after application of CT sealcoat and from 4 h to 36 days after application of asphalt-based sealcoat containing about 7% CT sealcoat (AS/CT-blend). Ceriodaphnia dubia (cladocerans) and Pimephales promelas (fathead minnows) were exposed in the laboratory to undiluted and 1:10 diluted runoff for 48 h, then transferred to control water and exposed to 4 h of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Mortality following exposure to undiluted runoff from unsealed asphalt pavement and UVR was ≤10% in all treatments. Test organisms exposed to undiluted CT runoff samples collected during the 3 days ( C. dubia ) or 36 days ( P. promelas ) following sealcoat application experienced 100% mortality prior to UVR exposure; with UVR exposure, mortality was 100% for runoff collected across the entire sampling period. Phototoxic-equivalent PAH concentrations and mortality demonstrated an exposure-response relation. The results indicate that runoff remains acutely toxic for weeks to months after CT sealcoat application.

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Barbara Mahler, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Peter C. Van Metre, James L. Kunz, Edward E. Little. 2015-04-10. Acute toxicity of runoff from sealcoated pavement to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b00933

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