Toxicity of copper to the marine amphipodAllorchestes compressain the presence of water-and lipid-soluble ligands

✍ Scribed by M. Ahsanullah; T. M. Florence

• Book ID: 104754368
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 480 KB
• Volume: 84
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0025-3162
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00394525

✦ Synopsis

Acute toxicity tests were carried out on the marine amphipod Al/orchestes compressa Dana using copper sulphate and some organocopper complexes. For copper sulphate, 96 h LCso values of 0.I 1 and 0.5 mg Cu 1-1 were determined for the juveniles and the adults, respectively, juveniles being 4.5 times more sensitive to copper than adults. Organocopper complexes were tested on adults only. The three water-soluble ligands nitrilotriacetic acid, 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonic acid and tannic acid ameliorated copper toxicity by decreasing the concentration of free ionic copper, while lipid-soluble ligands such as oxine and potassium ethylxanthogenate increased copper toxicity, presumably as a result of the complexes diffusing through the cell membrane and participating in injurious reaction. The copper complex with 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline was the most toxic complex tested. It is suggested that the presence of these ligands in the receiving water should be taken into consideration when establishing water-quality criteria.