Ecotoxicological characterization of the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine using eight aquatic species: baseline study for future higher tier tests

Ecotoxicological effects of the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) were investigated in one primary producer (Desmodesmus subspicatus) and seven invertebrate species (Daphnia magna, Daphnia pulex, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Gammarus fossarum, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, Lumbriculus variegatus and Chironomus riparius) using OECD and US EPA guidelines for chronic toxicity testing. The present data set was used to conduct a hazard assessment for CBZ including confirmatory data. While most of our results were in accordance with previous studies, published effect data for C. dubia and D. pulex could not be confirmed, even though they have previously been considered to be the most sensitive invertebrate species to CBZ exposure. The non-biting midge, C. riparius, was the most sensitive test organism in the present study. From an EC10 of 406 mu g/L and a no observed effect concentration (NOEC) of 400 mu g/L, a predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of 8 mu g/L was calculated. With regard to realistic predicted and measured environmental concentrations, the environmental risk can be considered as low for CBZ when the assessment is based on laboratory-based effect data. To conduct a refined and more realistic assessment, this study provides foundational data for two future, higher tier studies: one multiple-stressor experiment and one mesocosm study.