Dataset contains laboratory-studied Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) survival when exposed to bitumen sediments from the oil sands region of northern Alberta, cut through the McMurray Formation (MF). These are the results of the toxicological exposures, when Fathead minnow embryos were exposed to water from simulated rainfall on the river sediments.

Increased flux of carbon and nutrients from human activities in river basins were linked to acidification and deepwater hypoxia in estuaries and coastal areas worldwide. Annual loads (1995–2011) of suspended particulate matter (SPM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were assessed at the Lake Ontario inlet of the St. Lawrence River (SLR) and its estuarine outlet at Québec City. Internal loads from the Ottawa River, seventeen other tributaries, urban wastewaters, atmospheric deposition and erosion were also estimated.

Venlafaxine is an antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug that has been detected in municipal wastewater at low concentrations. To assess the potential of this compound to affect the survival, development and reproductive capacity of fish, we exposed Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) over a full lifecycle in a flow-through system to nominal venlafaxine concentrations. During the 167–168 day exposure, no significant changes were observed in survival, or the weights and lengths of Fathead minnows. At maturity, there were no significant differences relative to controls in condition factor, liver-somatic index, or secondary sex characteristics in the venlafaxine exposed male or female fish. Venlafaxine exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations caused no adverse effects in Fathead minnows. This study is the first to assess the potential for effects in fish exposed to the antidepressant venlafaxine over a full lifecycle.

Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) embryos and larvae are frequently used in toxicology, including short-term embryo-only tests which often use small volumes of test solution. The effect that such conditions may have on Fathead minnow development has yet to be explicitly described. Here we compared rates of embryonic development in Fathead minnow embryos reared under standard light and temperature conditions with a range of possible methods. All methods yielded excellent control survival. We demonstrated that Fathead minnow embryos incubated in a range of small volumes in multi-well plates [500 microlitres (μL) to 2 millilitres (mL) per embryo] did not substantially vary in developmental rate, but flexed less frequently as embryos, hatched smaller, later and with larger yolk-sacs, and initiated feeding later than embryos reared in an excess of solution (20 mL per embryo) with or without supplemental aeration. Faster hatch and growth were promoted with an orbital shaker, but growth benefits were not sustained into the larval stage. Developmental differences persisted in larvae reared to 20 days post-fertilization when monitoring ceased, but growth differences did not magnify and in some measurements partially resolved. To our knowledge we are the first to report effects of incubation in multi-well plates in any fish taxa. As our data revealed that the eleutheroembryonic stage for Fathead minnow may be prolonged in multi-well plates, this may allow the use of longer toxicity tests using Fathead minnow embryos without conflicting with existing animal welfare legislation in many countries. The data file presents the individual length and weight to each Fathead minnow fry at hatch.

Venlafaxine is an antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug that has been detected in municipal wastewater at low micrograms per litre (ug/L) concentrations. In this study, the nest-defense behavior of adult male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) was observed in fish exposed for a full lifecycle to venlafaxine nominal concentrations. Nest-defense behaviors quantified were the time taken to contact a dummy intruder fish (on a flexible stick, held near each nest) and the number of contacts made during a 1 minute period. This study is the first to assess reproductive behaviors in fish exposed to an antidepressant over a full lifecycle.

In this study, Daphnia magna were exposed over three 21d generations to an environmentally relevant concentration of TBOEP (10 μg/L) and effects were evaluated at the gene transcription, protein, and life-history (i.e., survival, reproduction and growth) levels. Results were published in a scientific article that can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2017.07.003

The transcriptomic response of Daphnia magna exposed to sublethal doses of 1H-benzotriazole (BTR), 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, (5MeBTR), and 5-chloro-1H-benzotriazole (5ClBTR) was evaluated using RNA-sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR. Cellular (chitinase activity) and life-history endpoints (survival, number of neonates, growth) were also investigated. Results have been published in a scientific article that can be found here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0171763

This dataset contains the concentrations of halogenated phenolic compounds in plasma for the fish species Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), from 3 site locations (Peche Island, Grosse Ile, Turkey Creek) within the Detroit River Area of Concern. Halogenated Phenolic Compounds have emerged as an important class of environmental contaminants in aquatic vertebrates, wildlife, and humans. They represent 4 of the 7 classes of substances listed as chemicals of mutual concern in the Great Lakes.

We set out to examine possible links between climate warming and increases in mercury concentrations ([Hg]) in landlocked Arctic char (S. alpinus) in the High Arctic. Mercury concentrations vary regionally and have remained constant or increased slightly in landlocked char in lakes on Ellesmere Island and Cornwallis Island over a 12-16 year period. This, despite declining industrial mercury emissions in North America. Therefore, we hypothesized that climate warming might increase the input of mercury from catchments through permafrost melt, leading to greater associated body burden of adult char. To investigate the influence of the catchments on mercury, we selected coastal lakes of similar size in Arctic regions that vary in climatic conditions, to also include the influence of latitude on mercury concentrations in Arctic char. One lake, Pingualuit crater Lake in Nunavik, was selected as reference point for atmospheric deposition of mercury to a lake with minimal catchment area. Sampling of water and Arctic char was aided by local people between 2005 and 2007.

Substituted phenylamine antioxidants (SPAs) are used in the production of a variety of consumer products (lubricants, dyes, and polymers). Substituted phenylamine antioxidants (SPAs) increase the life of consumer products by preventing the chain reaction of free radical production initiated by exposure to heat, oxygen, ozone, radiation and stress. It is important to consider that based on their physicochemical properties, substituted phenylamine antioxidants (SPAs) are likely to partition into sediment when they enter an aquatic system. Thus the most likely environmentally relevant pathway for fish to become exposed to SPAs would be through contaminated sediment. This data set investigated the effect of sub chronic exposure in the early life stages of the Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) to sediment spiked with substituted phenylamine antioxidants (SPAs). An advantage of testing during the early embryo-larval stages of a fish life is that they tend to be more sensitive to toxicants compared to more mature life stages of fish. Four SPAs were tested in this dataset: Diphenylamine [DPA], N-phenyl-1-napthylamine [PNA], N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-1,4 phenylenediamine [DPPDA], and 4,4’-methylene-bis[N-sec-butylaniline] [MBA]. Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) eggs and larvae were exposed to spiked sediment. Sediment used in this data set was collected from two reference sites (1) Long Point Marsh and (2) Long Point Bay located in Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada. The dissipation of SPAs in sediment during equilibration and in overlaying water each day of the Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) test indicate that persistence of SPAs in the environment may be limited under similar conditions. From the perspective of concentration of SPAs in overlying water, total survival was the most sensitive endpoint for DPA, PNA, and DPPDA in respect to the early life stages of the Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) while growth and biomass production were the most sensitive endpoints for MBA.