US EPA

1715459 

Technical Report 

Toxicity of Polychlorinated Diphenyl Ethers in Hydra Attenuata and in Rat Whole Embryo Culture 

Becker, MC 

1991 

NTIS/02978532_a 

GRA and I 

GRA and I 

88 pp 

English 

Polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs) are a class of biaryl compounds that have little commercial application, but appear to be widespread in the environment. They have been found in wood preservative waste dumpsites and in fly ash from municipal waste incinerators. They have been detected in bird eggs and tissues, fish, and other edible marine organisms in the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are limited reports in the extant literature on the toxicity of PCDEs. This study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of selected PCDEs in cultures of Hydra attenuata and post-implantation rat whole embryos. The toxicity of several closely related polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was evaluated in both cultures and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was evaluated in whole embryo culture. Embryonic growth and development parameters (yolk sac diameter, crown-rump length, somite count, and DNA and protein content) and gross morphology were determined. Findings indicated that these chemicals were neither embryotoxic nor teratogenic. Thus, the PCDEs, which elicit other diverse toxic and biochemical responses in rodents, are relatively inactive in these bioassays for developmental toxicity. 

Aquatic organisms; Bioassay; Biochemistry; Birds; Canada; Chemicals; Commerce; Culture; Deoxyribonucleic acids; Documents; Eggs; Europe; Fly ash; Growth(General); Incinerators; Morphology; Municipalities; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Proteins; Reports; Response; Rodents; United states; Wastes; Polychlorinated diphyenyl ethers; *Toxicity; *Hydra atlenuata; Chlorinated hydrocarbons; Phenyl radicals; Ethers; Rats; Embryos; Theses; Coelenterata; Pollutants