United States       Prevention, Pesticides     EPA712-C-96-345
          Environmental Protection    and Toxic Substances     February 1996
          Agency        (7101)
&EPA   Microbial Pesticide
          Test Guidelines
          OPPTS 885.4750
          Aquatic Ecosystem Test

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                           INTRODUCTION
     This guideline is one  of a  series  of test  guidelines that have been
developed by the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances,
United States Environmental  Protection Agency for use  in the testing of
pesticides and toxic substances, and the  development of test data that must
be submitted to the Agency  for review under Federal regulations.

     The Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS)
has  developed this guideline through  a process of harmonization that
blended the testing  guidance  and requirements that  existed in the Office
of Pollution Prevention and  Toxics  (OPPT) and appeared in Title  40,
Chapter I,  Subchapter R of the Code of Federal Regulations  (CFR),  the
Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) which appeared in publications of the
National Technical  Information Service (NTIS) and the guidelines pub-
lished by the Organization  for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD).

     The purpose of harmonizing these  guidelines  into a single set of
OPPTS guidelines is to minimize  variations among the testing procedures
that must be performed to meet the data  requirements of the U. S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency  under  the Toxic  Substances  Control Act  (15
U.S.C. 2601) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(7U.S.C. I36,etseq.).

     Final  Guideline Release: This guideline  is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 on The Federal Bul-
letin   Board.   By  modem  dial   202-512-1387,  telnet   and   ftp:
fedbbs.access.gpo.gov    (IP     162.140.64.19),    internet:     http://
fedbbs.access.gpo.gov, or call 202-512-0132 for disks  or paper copies.
This guideline is also available electronically in ASCII and PDF (portable
document format) from the EPA Public Access Gopher  (gopher.epa.gov)
under the heading "Environmental Test  Methods and Guidelines."

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OPPTS 885.4750  Aquatic ecosystem test.
     (a) Scope—(1) Applicability. This guideline is intended to meet test-
ing requirements of the  Federal Insecticide,  Fungicide, and  Rodenticide
Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. 136, et seq.\

     (2) Background. The source material used in developing  this har-
monized OPPTS test guideline is OPP guideline 154A-29.

     (b) Test standards. Specific requirements will be established on a
case-by-case basis. Data  sufficient to satisfy the general test  standards in
OPPTS 885.0001, and following:

     (1) Test substance. The actual form of the material to  be  tested is
described in OPPTS 885.0001. In addition, any substances used to enhance
virulence should be tested along with the test substance.

     (2) Test system. The  microbial pest control agent (MPCA) will be
tested in a complex, realistic microcosm which should be designed in con-
sultation with the Agency.  The microcosm should contain members from
all trophic levels found in natural aquatic ecosystems.

     (3) Test organisms, (i) Following consultation with the  Agency, the
registration applicant shall choose a combination of the following species
that reflects the species diversity of the target ecosystem:

     (A) A typical bottom-feeding fish (e.g. catfish or carp).

     (B) A cold-water fish,  a warm-water fish,  or a marine fish (e.g. brook
trout, rainbow trout,  bass, bluegill, northern pike, walleye,  or sheepshead
minnow).

     (C) Mollusks (e.g. oyster or freshwater clams).

     (D) Crustaceans (e.g. Daphnia spp., shrimp, or crayfish).

     (E) Nymphs (e.g. mayfly).

     (c) Reporting and evaluation of data. In addition to the information
required by  OPPTS  885.0001,  specific data reporting and  evaluation re-
quirements will be established on a case-by-case basis following  consulta-
tion with the Agency.

     (d) Tier progression. If pathogenic  effects are observed, simulated
and  actual field testing may be required  and,  additional testing may be
required.

     (e) References.  The following contain useful background information
for developing acceptable protocols.

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     (1) Johnson, B.T. and R.A. Schoettger. A biological model for esti-
mating the uptake, transfer, and degradation of xenobiotics in an aquatic
food chain. FEDERAL REGISTER 40(123):26906-26909 (June 25, 1975).

     (2) Macek, K.J.  et al. Bioconcentration of C14-pesticides exposure.
Pp. 119-142 in Structure-activity  correlations in studies of toxicity and
bioconcentration   with  aquatic  organisms.   G.D.   Veith   and   D.E.
Konasevich, eds. Proceedings of a Symposium,  Burlington, Ontario, March
11-13, 1975. Sponsored by Standing Committees on  Scientific Basis for
Water Control  Criteria of the International Joint Commission's Research
Advisory Board (1975).

     (3) Schimmel, S.C. et al. Acute toxicity  to and  bioconcentration of
endosulfan by estuarine animals. Pp. 241-252  in Aquatic Toxicology and
Hazard Evaluation. F.L. Mayer and J.L. Hamelink, eds. STP #634, Amer-
ican Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA.

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