Chronic toxicity of mixtures of copper, cadmium and zinc to Daphnia pulex

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5603653

Flickinger, A L

Daphnia pulex (de Greer) were exposed to single and bimetal mixtures of copper, cadmium and zinc in reconstituted waters of different hardness/alkalinity and humic acid concentrations. The effect of single and bimetal exposure to these metals was evaluated by survivorship and reproductive indices of brood size, percent aborted eggs/brood, age at reproductive maturity, age at first reproduction and the instantaneous rate of population growth. Accumulation by 7-day-old Daphnia magna of metals in these mixtures was also assessed in medium water containing 0.0 and 0.75 mg humic acid/L. The addition of 0.75 mg humic acid/L decreased the acute toxicity of copper and zinc but increased the acute toxicity of cadmium. Survival was the best index of a single or bimetal chronic stress since it was equally or more sensitive than any reproductive index. The interaction between copper and zinc was variable in soft water which contained 0.15 mg humic acid/L, but largely independent in medium water which contained 0.0 and 0.75 mg humic acid/L. Zinc and humic acid had no effect on the accumulation of copper in medium water. Copper and cadmium were synergistic in their interaction on daphniid survival in medium water which contained 0.0 and 0.75 mg humic acid/L.

• OSTI ID: 5603653
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560304* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Invertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BRANCHIOPODS
CADMIUM
COPPER
CRUSTACEANS
DAPHNIA
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
HUMIC ACIDS
INVERTEBRATES
METALS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
REPRODUCTION
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
SURVIVAL TIME
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER POLLUTION
ZINC