Carbon disulfide in freshwater and marine water

Toxicant default guideline values for protecting aquatic ecosystems

October 2000

Extracted from Section 8.3.7 ‘Detailed descriptions of chemicals’ of the ANZECC & ARMCANZ (2000) guidelines.

The default guideline values (previously known as ‘trigger values’) and associated information in this technical brief should be used in accordance with the detailed guidance provided in the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality.

Description of chemical

Carbon disulfide (CAS 75-15-0) is a flammable, volatile liquid with unpleasant odour. It is transient in water.

Aquatic toxicology

Freshwater fish: one species, Lebistes reticulatus, 96-hour LC50, 4000 µg/L.

Freshwater crustacean: one species, Daphnia magna, 48-hour LC50, 2100 µg/L.

Freshwater algae: one species, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, 96-hour EC50 (growth), 21,000 µg/L.

Marine fish: one species, Alburnus alburnus, 96-hour LC50, 62,500 µg/L.

Guideline

The dataset for carbon disulfide was expanded using chronic QSARs, with a lowest value of 6190 µg/L. This exceeded the acute LC50 for two species. A freshwater low reliability trigger value of 20 µg/L was calculated for carbon disulfide using an assessment factor (AF) of 100. In the absence of marine data, this was adopted as a marine low reliability trigger value. These figures should only be used as indicative interim working levels.

Reference

ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000. Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality, Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council and Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand, Canberra.