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Title: Mercury accumulation and its effects an Artemia franciscana

Conference ·
OSTI ID:242390

The effects of mercury accumulation on the brine shrimp Artemia franciscona were studied by long term (1--2 months) laboratory bioassays, using mercury chloride as the contaminant and the algae, Tetraselmis suecica as the food. These experiments were part of a larger research project aiming to contribute to the knowledge on mercury accumulation and its effects on Artemia. This crustacean is used worldwide for marine species feeding in aquafarms. This also happens on the lagoon of Aveiro, Portugal, which is partially contaminated with mercury. The first assays were conducted with concentrations of HgCl{sub 2} of the order of magnitude of those found in the waters of the lagoon of Aveiro (1.4 and 2.8 {micro}g/l). In further bioassays ranges of concentrations with observable effects have been used, from 0.02 to 1 mo. In the different assays the HgCl{sub 2} was: (a) simultaneously added to all the tanks or along the time, to evaluate the effects over different life stages (b) added directly to the tanks and then to the algae, at the same or in different quantities, to find out which was the more important pathway of contamination (c) removed from the feed stream after a certain time, to find out if detoxification would occur. The bioassays were carried out in five 100 l tanks under controlled temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity and feeding rate. Besides the content in mercury, size and number of the organisms have also been measured, as well as their content in total proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

OSTI ID:
242390
Report Number(s):
CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9626%%218
Resource Relation:
Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English