Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Fluoride

Water Quality

Table 5.2 Effects of Fluoride on Fish

F **	*Species: Tinca tinca* (T. vulgaris), tench**
mg/L	Fluoride Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
50	Na₂SiF₆		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
50	K₂SiF₆		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
50	MgSiF₆^.6H₂O		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
50	(NH₄)₂SiF₆	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
100	NaF/HF		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
100	NH₄F/HF	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
200	NH₄F	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
500	MnF₂	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
678	NaF		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
1500	KF		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
10000*	MgF₂		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
10000*	BaF₂	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
20000*	LiF	48-h	lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
30000*	SrF₂		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937
30000*	CaF₂		lethal	Simonin & Pierron, 1937

F **	Species: Unspecified Fish
mg/L	Fluoride Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
7.7		minnows	no effect in 1 hour	Anon (Ohio), 1950
40	HF		harmful	Anon (Ohio), 1950
60	HF		lethal	Anon (Ohio), 1950
64	KF	10 days	LC₅₀	Tarzwell, 1957

F **	*Species: Pimephales promelas* (fathead minnow)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
180	NaF	pH 7.4-7.8, 20°C, hardness 10	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
205	NaF	pH 7.5-7.7, 20°C, hardness 12-75	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
315	NaF	pH 7.9-8.0, 16-20°C, hardness 20-48	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
315	NaF	pH 7.5-8.0, 15-19°C, hardness 10-44	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985

F **	*Species: Mugil cephalus* (mullet)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
5.65	NaF	113-d, 25°C, marine	81.8% survival, 35.4% weight gain over controls @ 0.95 mg/L fluoride	Hemens et al., 1975
5.70	NaF	113-d, 25°C, marine	86.4% survival, 0.6% weight gain over controls @ 0.95 mg/L fluoride	Hemens et al., 1975
5.88	NaF	68-d, 52mm long, marine	100% survival, no effect on growth	Hemens et al., 1975
5.88	NaF	68-d, 17mm long, marine	90% survival, decreased growth	Hemens et al., 1975
10	NaF	20°C, 96-h, salinity 10/20/28 ppt salinity, marine	no mortality	Hemens & Warwick, 1972
52	NaF	25°, 72-d, 20 ppt salinity, (fish not fed), marine	70% survival, poor condition	Hemens & Warwick, 1972
100	NaF	salinity 10/20/28 ppt, marine	no mortality	Hemens & Warwick, 1972

F **	*Species: Gambusia affinis* (mosquito fish)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
418	NaF	pH 7.5-8.1, 21-24°C, alkalinity 100 mg/L	24-h LC₅₀	Wallen et al., 1957
500	NaF	0.026 normal fluoride	14-h LC₅₀ 19-h LC₁₀₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960***
500	NaF	0.26 normal fluoride plus chloride	0.5-h LC₅₀ 1-h LC₁₀₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960***
560	NaF	pH 7.5-8.1, 21-24°C, alkalinity 100 mg/L	48 and 96-h LC₅₀	Wallen et al., 1957

F **	Species: "trout"
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
80	NaF	90 hours in seawater	non toxic	Fletcher et al., 1979
317	H₂SiF₆	pH 7.8, seawater for a few hours	lethal	Fletcher et al., 1979

F **	*Species: Gasterosteus aculeatus* (stickleback)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
340	NaF	pH 7.4-7.9, 20°C, hardness 78	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
380	NaF	pH 7.4-7.9, 20°C, hardness 146	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
460	NaF	pH 7.4-7.9, 20°C, hardness 300	96-h LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985

F **	*Species: Carassius auratus* (goldfish)**
mg/L	Fluoride Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
100		4-days, hard water	not lethal	Anon (Ohio), 1950
120		4-days, hard water	mortality	Anon (Ohio), 1950
200	NaF	10-days	not lethal	Ellis et al., 1946
1000		60 to 102-hours, hard water	lethal	Anon (Ohio), 1950
1000		12 to 29-hours, soft water	lethal	Anon (Ohio), 1950

F **	*Species: Oncorhynchus kisutch* (coho salmon)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Reference
22.6 to 226	NaF	pH 7.1, 84 mm, 14°C, alkalinity 47.5	at 72-h, 1 dead @ 226 mg/L, rest in poor condition	Anon (Wash.), 1960

F **	*Species: Salmo trutta* (Brown trout)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
0.9	NaF	12°C, 2 cm fish, pH 6.8, hardness 73	no mortality	Wright, 1977
_20	NaF	12°C, 2 cm fish, pH 6.8, hardness 73	40-h LC₅ 90-h LC₅₀	Wright, 1977
20-60	NaF	12°C, 2 cm fish, pH 6.8, hardness 73	Eventually 100% lethal	Wright, 1977
_35	NaF	12°C, 2 cm fish, pH 6.8, hardness 73	11-h LC₅ 40-h LC₅₀	Wright, 1977
_60	NaF	12°C, 2 cm fish, pH 6.8, hardness 73	6-h LC₅ 11-h LC₅₀	Wright, 1977
125	NaF		48-h LC₅₀	Woodwiss & Fretewell, 1974

F **	*Species: Oncorhynchus mykiss* (rainbow trout)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
2.3-7.3	NaF	18°C, soft water, 20 g, 10 cm	LC₅₀, 20-d	Angelovic et al., 1961b
2.6-6.0	NaF	13°C, soft water, 20 g, 10 cm	LC₅₀, 20-d	Angelovic et al., 1961b
2.7-4.7	NaF	13°C, 20-days, 10 to 20 cm, <3 Ca	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
4.0	NaF	14.5°C, 21-days, hardness 12	LC₅	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
5.9-7.5	NaF	7.5°C, soft water, 20 g, 10 cm	LC₅₀, 20-d	Angelovic et al., 1961b
7.0	NaF	hardness 0, 7°C	LC₅₀ 72-h	Neuhold & Sigler, 1961
8.5	NaF	14.5°C, 21-days,	LC₅₀	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
8.5	NaF	48-h, yearlings, hard water	LC₅₀	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
9.7	NaF	soft water	mortality	Pimental & Bulkley, 1983b
22	NaF	hardness 0, 7°C, pre-exposed to 34 mg/l Cl for 48-h	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1961
50	NaF	hardness 45, 21-days, 14.5°C	no deaths	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
51	NaF	hardness 17, pH 7.2	LC₅₀	Pimental & Bulkley, 1983a
(38-68)		12°C, 1.8 g, 59 mm
61-85	NaF	< 3 Ca, 16°C, 825-h	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
75	NaF	hardness 45, 21-days, 14.5°C	no deaths	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
100	NaF	hardness 320, 21-days, precipitation dropped fluoride to 10 quickly	young fish survived	Vallin, 1968
100	NaF	hardness 320, 21-days, 14.5°C	no deaths	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
113	NaF	hardness 45, 21-days, 14.5°C	100% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
128 (108-150)	NaF	hardness 49, pH 8.3, 12°C, 1.8 g, 59 mm	LC₅₀	Pimental & Bulkley, 1983a
140 (117-167)	NaF	hardness 182, pH 8.3, 12°C, 1.8 g, 59 mm	LC₅₀	Pimental & Bulkley, 1983a

F **	*Species: Oncorhynchus mykiss* (rainbow trout)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
150	NaF	hardness 320, 21-days, 14.5°C	90% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
169	NaF	hardness 45, 21-days, 14.5°C	100% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
193	NaF	hardness 385, pH 8.7, 12°C, 1.8 g, 59 mm	LC₅₀	Pimental & Bulkley, 1983a
200	NaF	hardness 320, 21-days, 14.5°C	100% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
200	NaF	hardness 11.3, 167-h, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
200	NaF	hardness 11.3, 424-h, fry	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
200	NaF	hardness 23-62, 15°C, pH 7.4-8.0, 96-h	LC₅₀	Smith et al., 1985
222-273	NaF	<3 Ca, 8°C, 424-h, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
237-281	NaF	<3 Ca, 16°C, 167-h, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
242-261	NaF	<3 Ca, 13°C, 214-h, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
246	NaF	8°C, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
250	NaF	hardness 320, 21-days, 14.5°C	100% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
251	NaF	16°C, eggs	LC₅₀	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960
253	NaF	hardness 45, 21-days, 14.5°C	100% mortality	Herbert & Shurben, 1964
358	NaF	soft water	toxic	Klein, 1958

F **	*Species: Cyprinus carpio* (carp)**
mg/L	Salt	Conditions	Effects	Ref.
75-91	NaF	17°C, soft water, 10-33 cm fish	4-5-d LC₅₀, fish size dependent	Neuhold & Sigler, 1960

* See Table 2.1. This exceeds the solubility of the compound in water. All such cases are from the same reference, Simonin & Pierron, 1937.

** The values are usually expressed as concentration of fluoride only, not the molecule used, but in some references it is not clear what is meant so some may actually be the molecular concentration. Where a range is given the values are the 95% confidence limits around the mean.

*** Cited in Neuhold & Sigler, 1960.