A New Developmental Toxicity Test for Pelagic Fish Using Anchoveta (Engraulis ringens J.)

A series of six 96-h static bioassays were performed to validate the use of anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) embryos as test organisms for ecotoxicological studies. The standardization protocol utilized potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) as a reference toxicant and egg mortality as the endpoint. The results indicated that the mean sensitivity of anchoveta embryos to potassium dichromate was 156.1 mg L-1 (range: 131-185 mg L-1). The statistical data analysis showed high homogeneity in LC50 values among bioassays (variation coefficient = 11.02%). These results demonstrated that the protocol and handling procedures implemented for the anchoveta embryo bioassays comply with international standards for intra-laboratory precision. After secondary treatment, an effluent from a modern Kraft pulp mill was tested for E. ringens embryo toxicity, finding no significant differences from the controls.