An initial evaluation of the use of Euro/North American fish species for tropical effects assessments

Environmental effects and risk assessments most often employ temperate and coldwater species endemic to Europe and North America. With an increased need to assess the risk of chemicals in tropical regions, there is a concomitant need to assess the applicability of using effects assessments generated with Euro/North American species to also cover the needs of tropical species. One aspect of this need is the comparability of species sensitivities between fish from different climates. This specific need was addressed by using acute toxicity information collected from the US EPA AQUIRE database for 95 different fish species exposed to six chemicals with different modes of action. Our analysis indicates that tropical species are no more sensitive to chemicals than coldwater and temperate species. Coldwater species appear to be the most sensitive, followed by temperate and tropical, respectively. This evaluation supports the initial use of commonly tested aquatic species endemic to coldwater and temperate climates for assessing effects in tropical environs.