Effects of the water-soluble fraction of partially combusted crude oil from Kuwait's oil fires (from Desert Storm) on survival and growth of the marine fish Menidia beryllina.

Effects of the water-soluble fraction of partially combusted crude oil (PCCO) from oil fires in Kuwait on survival and growth of the marine fish Menidia beryllina were studied relative to those of Kuwaiti crude oil (CO). Survival was studied as a function of total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations [TPH] in 96-hr static exposures. The specific growth rate (SGR) and specific growth inhibition (SGI) percentage were studied as a function of [TPH] in 16-day flowthrough exposure. Survival in the highest PCCO-associated exposure ([TPH] = 0.64 mg/liter) declined from 95% after 48 hr to 60% at 120 hr of exposure. Linear regression analysis of the [TPH]-SGR relationships resulted in statistically significant (P < 0.001) concentration-dependent decrease of 0.19 in SGR of fish exposed to PCCO water-soluble fraction and of 9.6 x 10(-3) in SGR of fish exposed to CO water-soluble fraction. Linear regression analysis of the [TPH]-SGI relationships showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) concentration-dependent increase of 3.38% per TPH concentration unit (mg/liter) in SGI of fish exposed to PCCO water-soluble fraction, whereas the increase in SGI observed under CO exposures was 0.18% per TPH concentration unit. The toxicity of PCCO was exhibited at a much lower TPH concentration; the EC50 of PCCO was reached at a water TPH concentration of 12.42 mg/liter, while the EC50 of CO was reached at a water TPH concentration of 193.23 mg/liter. The comparative toxicity of the CO and PCCO water-soluble fractions and the difference in their chemical and physical characteristics suggest that the larger contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other breakdown products to the concentration of PCCO-associated TPHs in water resulted in a larger effect on growth of the marine fish M. beryllina.

Subacute toxicity of the water-soluble fractions of Kuwait crude oil and partially combusted crude oil on Menidia beryllina and Palaemonetes pugio.

As a consequence of the 1991 Gulf War, a substantial amount of crude oil (CO) and partially combusted crude oil (PCO) were emitted into the environment. Therefore, the study objective was to evaluate the toxicity of the water soluble fraction (WSF) of CO and PCO on a fish, Menidia beryllina, and an invertebrate, Palaemonetes pugio, in 16-d flow-through tests. Specific growth rate (SGR) was studied as a function of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPHC) concentration in water. Reductions in SGR were observed in fish exposed to PCO and CO WSFs, with TPHC water concentration being 10-fold higher in CO exposures (67-145 microg/L) than in PCO exposures (4-12 microg/L). Significant negative correlations were observed between TPHC concentration and fish SGR in both CO (r2=0.730) and PCO (r2=0.867) exposures, with the slope being significantly lower for PCO exposures (-0.169) than CO exposures (-0.009). Differences between CO and PCO toxicity were not as clear in shrimp exposures due to slow growth rates and variability in TPHC concentrations. Qualitative PAH analysis indicated that naphthalene was present in the CO WSF whereas chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene were present in the PCO WSF. Heavy metal analysis of concentrated stock solutions indicated that the PCO WSF had substantially higher concentrations of some metals (Sr=2,521 microg/L, B=556 microg/L, and Ba=130 microg/L) than the CO WSF in which concentrations were less than 55 microg/L. Fish and shrimp tissue analysis did not reveal any uptake of parent PAH compounds from the water, which may be attributed to the formation of PAH metabolites.

Lead in drinking water from water coolers and in fingernails from subjects in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

In response to concerns raised by the Kuwait Ministry of Public Health (KMPH) about the high lead levels in some commercial water coolers, samples of drinking water and fingernails were collected from 129 healthy donors (77 males and 52 females) during the period December 1994-February 1995. The mean nail lead levels for females and males were 5.50 +/- 7.76 and 5.08 +/- 14.65 microg/g, respectively, and the difference between these means was not significant (P = 0.025). A positive correlation was found between lead levels in drinking water and lead in fingernails from both males and females. However, the effect of water lead levels on lead levels in fingernails of females was more significant (P = 0.002) than that on levels in fingernails of males (P = 0.21). Contrasted with all other coolers, water from one brand of coolers, Al-Hassawi, appears to contribute significantly to lead exposures among households with lead levels ranging between 15.89 and 70.30 microg/l and mean of 32.09 +/- 13.23 microg/l.