Schultz, T.W.; Dawson, D.A.; Lin, D.T. Comparative toxicity of selected nitrogen-containing aromatic compounds in the Tetrahymena pyriformis and Pimephales promelas test systems. Chemosphere 1989, 18, 11, 2283–2291.

Abstract

The relative toxicity of a heterogeneous series of nitrogen-containing aromatics including substituted anilines, pyridines and nitrobenzenes was evaluated in the 48-h sublethal, static Tetrahymena pyriformis (ciliate protozoan) test system and compared with reported values for the 96-h lethal, flow-through Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) test system. The log octanol/water partition coefficient-dependent (log Kow) linear regression analysis of each data set revealed no linear relationship owing to the fact that several modes of toxic action were represented by the tested aromatics. Regression analysis of the fathead minnow toxicity (log LC50 [M/l]) versus Tetrahymena toxicity (log BR [mM/l] showed good correlation between the two systems as revealed by the model log LC50 = -1.091 (log BR) - 3.284; n = 38, r-square = 0.887, s = 0.319, f = 282.75, Pr > f = 0.0001.