The OECD soil, which is standardised for use in the sediment toxicity with the midge Chironomus riparius revealed inhibition of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in body growth length and egg production of 41.0% and 84%, respectively. 18 formulated sediments were tested to optimise the sediment composition for growth and reproduction of C. elegans. Their components were chosen to simulate native sediments, whereby different quantities and different clay minerals were tested. The mixture that we found to be optimal in our experiments consisted of 5% sphagnum peat, 70% calcitic sand, 0.5% dolomite limestone, 4.5% iron(III) oxide, and a clay combination of 1.5% chlorite and 18.5% aluminium(III) oxide. When applying this mixture to C. riparius, the new formulated sediment improved also growth in comparison to the OECD sediment. |
