Effects of Sublethal Concentrations of Sodium Pentachlorophenate on Growth Rate, Food Conversion Efficiency, and Swimming Performance in Underyearling Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Tests were performed at 15 C, pH 6.8, and dissolved oxygen values of 90–100% air saturation. Growth rate and conversion efficiency were measured by feeding a ration level of 15% body dry weight/day to underyearling sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) held at sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP) concentrations of 0, 1.14, 1.99, 3.49, 7.16, 13.60, 27.73, 31.57, and 47.18 ppb. Swimming performance was measured at PCP concentrations of 0, 7.21, 19.00, and 50.00 ppb. The 96-hr LC50 was 63 ppb PCP. Growth rate and conversion efficiency were almost equally affected by PCP, the EC50 values being 1.74 ppb for growth rate and 1.80 ppb for conversion efficiency. This is approximately 2.8% of the 96-hr LC50. Swimming performance was unaffected by PCP at the concentrations used.