Reciprocal influences of temperature and copper on survival of fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas
- Univ. of North Texas, Denton, TX (United States)
Contemporary ecological concerns of accelerated global warming, increase in toxic chemicals and loss of biodiversity make relevant studies of tolerance of various organisms to abiotic variables. In this study, the reciprocal effects of temperature and copper on survival of fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, were determined. Temperature tolerance of fishes is limited by a cornucopia of biotic and abiotic factors, including various toxicants. Not only do chemicals affect temperature tolerance of fishes, temperature influences the sensitivity of fish to toxic chemicals; however, the relationship between temperature and lethality is complex, difficult to predict, and has not been the focus of many studies. Copper, a necessary trace element in animal metabolism and ubiquitous in aquatic environments, was selected as our test toxicant. Hodson et al. (1979) reported copper concentrations of one to 29 {mu}g/L in unpolluted surface waters in the United States. Copper sulfate (CuSO{sub 4}), is an algicide, bactericide and herbicide for ponds, lakes and fish hatcheries. Also, copper is recommended as a fungicide for a variety of ornamental plants and crops, and in various chemical forms enters the environment through mining, smelting, and refining activities. Copper is toxic in parts per billion concentrations ({mu}g/L) and is an EPA priority pollutant. In this research two null hypotheses were tested: (1) temperature has no effect on the lethality of copper sulfate, and (2) sublethal concentrations of copper do not affect the upper temperature tolerance of fathead minnows. It was found that acclimation temperature significantly affects the 96-hr median lethal concentration. Exposure to copper adversely affects the ability of minnows to withstand high temperatures. 14 refs., 3 figs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 95966
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 55, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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