Biological and chemical data from laboratory toxicity exposures of rainbow trout to four wildland fire retardants

Publication Date

2023-08-07

Start Date

2008-03-10

End Date

2015-12-04

Buhl, K.J., 2023, Biological and chemical data from laboratory toxicity exposures of rainbow trout to four wildland fire retardants: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9WGZC0O.

The Department of Interior (DOI) National Interagency Fire Center in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service continually consider new or re-formulated chemicals for controlling wildland fires that will provide increased efficacy and minimal risk to the environment. The objective of this study is to characterize the acute toxicity of four candidate fire control chemicals being considered for the U.S. Forest Service Qualified Products List to early life stages of rainbow trout, a standard test species that is sufficiently sensitive to a broad array of chemicals to be a useful surrogate for protection of native species. Generally, these will be first aquatic toxicity tests conducted with these chemicals. The Forest Service used the results of this research as one of their acceptance criterion to place these chemicals on their Qualified Products List. This List contains the inventory from which all DOI bureaus with fire-fighting responsibilities select the chemicals to be used on their lands. These data can be also used to estimate the hazard potential of these chemicals to salmonids and other aquatic biota in a waterbody where an accidently spill or misapplication occurred.

• Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
• USGS Data Release Products