Factors affecting metal toxicity to (and accumulation by) aquatic organisms - overview
- Illinois State Water Survey, Peoria (USA)
This literature review encompasses aquatic environmental toxicities of metals and metalloids. The emphasis is on the influencing factors on metal toxicity to aquatic organisms. The effects of environmental factors on metal uptake are also discussed. The factors can be divided into biotic and abiotic. The biotic factors include tolerance, size and life stages, species, and nutrition related to the test organisms. The abiotic factors include organic substances, pH, temperature, alkalinity and hardness, inorganic ligands, interactions, sediments, and others. These factors can alter metal toxicity in the aquatic environment substantially, mostly causing attenuating effect. The literature shows divergent results. For example, the interactions between Cd and Zn were reported to be synergistic by some researchers and antagonistic by others. It is recommended that environmental hazard assessment takes into consideration the results of standard toxicity tests and site-specific conditions which can moderate metal toxicity considerably. 238 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5222904
- Journal Information:
- Environment International; (USA), Vol. 13:6; ISSN 0160-4120
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
INJURIES
METALS
TOXICITY
ALGAE
ARSENIC
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CADMIUM
CHROMIUM
COPPER
FISHES
FUNGI
IRON
LEAD
MANGANESE
MERCURY
NICKEL
PH VALUE
PLANTS
REVIEWS
SELENIUM
SYNERGISM
ZINC
ZOOPLANKTON
ANIMALS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
PLANKTON
SEMIMETALS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)