Teratogenesis, acute and chronic toxicity, growth and bioconcentration were investigated in various life stages (embryos, tadpoles, juveniles, adults) of the frogs Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog), Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog) and Rana pipiens (leopard frog) exposed to aqueous dieldrin in static-renewal and flow-through systems in a study on the development of wildlife-based water quality criteria. R. catesbeiana was the most sensitive tadpole in acute tests; X. laevis was the most sensitive in embryo-larval and chronic tadpole tests. Tadpole 96-h LC50s ranged from 40.4 to 49.5 micrograms/L dieldrin for X. laevis, from 8.7 to 30.3 micrograms/L for R. catesbeiana and was 71.3 micrograms/L for R. pipiens. The 24-day LC50 for X. laevis tadpoles was 5.5 micrograms/L dieldrin; the 28-day LC50 for R. pipiens tadpoles was 8.3 micrograms/L. Adult R. pipiens had a 28-day LC50 of 53.4 micrograms/L dieldrin. Gross spinal deformities in embryo-larval tests were observed at dieldrin concentrations as low as 1.3 micrograms/L after 10-days exposure to X. laevis and at 25.4 micrograms/L for a 21-day exposure to R. catesbeiana. Mean X. laevis 14 to 21-day LOAEL (Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level) and NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values for embryo-larval tests (25.5 and 11.0 micrograms/L dieldrin, respectively) were virtually the same as the 21-day single test values obtained for R. catesbeiana (25.1 and 11.0 micrograms/L dieldrin). Mean 14 to 24-day X. laevis LOAEL and NOAEL values for tadpole chronic tests (1.6 and less than 1.4 micrograms/L dieldrin, respectively) were lower than the 28-day single test values obtained for R. pipiens (4.1 and 1.9 micrograms/L, respectively). Tissue dieldrin levels at the LC50, LOAEL and NOAEL in the tadpole acute tests were fairly similar between X. laevis (11, 24 and 7 micrograms/g, respectively) and R. catesbeiana (means of 8.6, 12.0 and 1.2 micrograms/g, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)