Comparative QSAR study on freshwater and estuarine toxicity

Regression analysis has been applied to examine the structure-toxicity relationships regarding the acute toxicity to various freshwater and estuarine organisms (fish, algae, crustacea, bacteria) for a series of substituted aromatic compounds. Linear relationships between the toxicity and the log P sub ow partition coefficient have been obtained for nonreactive chemicals. Increased partitioning into lipophilic phases of the biosystem enhances the toxic effect. The structure-toxicity relationships are evaluated with regard to species differences. Multivariate procedures reveal collinearities in the response of several aquatic organisms to aromatic compounds. Analysis of interspecies correlations demonstrates coinciding toxicity ranking with different aquatic test systems for chemicals acting by a uniform mode of action.