ASTM E2122-02(2013)
Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Caged Bivalves

Standard No.

ASTM E2122-02(2013)

Release Date

2002

Published By

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Status

Be replaced

Replace By

ASTM E2122-22

Latest

ASTM E2122-22

Scope

5.1 The ecological importance of bivalves, their wide geographic distribution, ease of handling in the laboratory and the field, and their ability to filter and ingest large volumes of water and sediment particles make them appropriate species for conducting field bioassays to assess bioaccumulation potential and associated biological effects. The test procedures in this guide are intended to provide guidance for conducting controlled experiments with caged bivalves under “natural,” site-specific conditions. It is important to acknowledge that a number of “natural” factors can affect bivalve growth and the accumulation of chemicals in their tissues (Section 6, Interferences). This field bioassay can also be conducted in conjunction with laboratory bioassays to help answer questions raised in the field exposures. The field exposures can also be used to validate the results of laboratory bioassays.

5.2 The ultimate resources of concern are communities. However, it is often difficult or impossible to adequately assess the ecological fitness or condition of the community or identify and test the most sensitive species. Bivalves are recommended as a surrogate test species for other species and communities for the following reasons: (1) They readily accumulate many chemicals and show sublethal effects associated with exposure to those chemicals (2); (2) they accumulate many chemicals through multiple pathways of exposure, including water, sediment, and food (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27), and (3) caged bivalves have been shown to represent effects on the benthos more accurately than traditional laboratory tests (28, 29). Although bivalve species might be considered insensitive because of their wide use as indicators of chemical bioavailability, it has been suggested that sensitivity is related to the type of test, end points being measured, and duration of exposure (2). In short-term toxicity assessments in which survival is the end point, bivalves may appear to be more tolerant to and less affected by chemicals because of their ability to close their valves for short periods and avoid exposure (30, 31, 32, 33) . However, studies comparing the mortality end point in bivalves and other test species have found bivalves to be equally (34, 35 Conducting Static Acute Toxicity Tests Starting with Embryos of Four Species of Saltwater Bivalve Molluscs

ASTM E729 Standard Guide for Conducting Acute Toxicity Tests on Test Materials with Fishes, Macroinvertebrates, and Amphibians

ASTM E943 Standard Terminology Relating to Biological Effects and Environmental Fate

IEEE SI 10 American National Standard for Metric Practice

ASTM E2122-02(2013) history

• 2022 ASTM E2122-22 Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Caged Bivalves
• 2002 ASTM E2122-02(2013) Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Caged Bivalves
• 2002 ASTM E2122-02(2007) Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Caged Bivalves
• 2002 ASTM E2122-02 Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Caged Bivalves
• 2001 ASTM E2122-01 Standard Guide for Conducting In-situ Field Bioassays With Marine, Estuarine, and Freshwater Bivalves