Quantitative comparisons of acute toxicity of organic chemicals to rat and fish.

Relationships between the acute toxicity of chemicals to fish (LC50) and rat (LD50) were analyzed using a Model II regression analysis after logarithmic transformation. (Model II regression assumes errors in both variables.) Significant correlations were found among bluegill and fathead minnow LC50S and rat LD50 values for the "priority pollutants." Fathead minnow and bluegill LC50S for 48 pesticides were highly correlated. No correlations were found between fish and rat for carbamate plus organophosphate pesticides. Correlations were obtained among all species for the combined priority pollutant plus pesticide data and for chlorinated pesticides.