Age sensitivity of juvenile mussels (Utterbackia imbeciles Say) to copper and cadmium exposure
- Clemson Univ., Pendleton, SC (United States)
In recent years, there has been increased interest in using early life stages of freshwater bivalves to test the toxicity of dissolved constituents in water. The authors have developed laboratory and in situ assays with artificially cultured Utterbackia imbecillis to examine effects of contaminants and existing conditions in embayments and rivers on mortality and reproductive success of unionid mussels. Age sensitivity of U. imbecillis to Cd and Cu was examined using both static acute and 8-day static renewal bioassays. Both aqueous and sediment exposures demonstrated greater sensitivity to Cd than Cu. LC{sub 50}`s for two-day old (2d) and 9d mussels were approximately half the LC{sub 50} calculated for 16d mussels in 48-hr bioassays with Cd. Additionally, acute assays were repeated twice to examine variability in response between different mussel cultures to the two metals. The results of this work reinforce the potential of juvenile U. imbecillis as a standard toxicity test organism for water-borne and sediment contamination.
- OSTI ID:
- 37439
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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