Effects of salinity, temperature, and cadmium stress on cadmium-binding protein in the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7098624

Howard, C L

In 96-hour bioassays, shrimp were exposed to zero or one of three levels of cadmium, under one of six different salinity and temperature regimes. CdBP concentrations were quantified in survivors from the 24 exposure groups. Salinity and temperature did not affect survivorship unless the shrimp were also exposed to cadmium. Grass shrimp were most sensitive to cadmium at low salinity-high temperature, and least sensitive at high salinity-low temperature. The incidence of cadmium-associated black lesions in gill tissue was influenced by salinity and temperature stress. P. pugio produced a 10,000 dalton metallothionein-like CdBP when exposed to at least 0.1 mg Cd{sup 2+}/L for 96 hours. Accumulation of CdBP was increased with increases in the exposure cadmium level, increases in temperature and decreases in salinity, independently and in conjunction with one another. Maximum CdBP concentrations occurred in grass shrimp that survived the salinity-temperature-cadmium conditions creating maximum stress as measured by highest mortality, not necessarily in shrimp exposed to the highest cadmium levels. The potential utility of this method as a monitor of physiological stress in estuarine biota inhabiting metal-polluted environments is discussed.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Houston, TX (USA). School of Public Health
• OSTI ID: 7098624
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CADMIUM
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
ELEMENTS
INVERTEBRATES
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PROTEINS
SALINITY
SHRIMP
SYNTHESIS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION