Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1978046 | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology | 2006 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
Mortality and physiological tests following exposure to waterborne copper were performed in the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii from a central Italian population. Mortality tests gave an estimated 96 h LC50 value (with 95% confidence limits) of 162 (132-211) mg Lâ 1 waterborne copper II. Variations in cardiac and ventilatory rates were simultaneously monitored using a non-invasive plethysmographic technique. In experiments with different sub-lethal copper concentrations (control, 0.5, 1 and 10 mg Lâ 1) performed at different times (3, 6, 96 h), copper exposure elicited a reduction in both heart and scaphognatite rates. Following exposure to 10 mg Lâ 1 copper for 96 h, the heart and scaphognatite rates decreased to about 35% of the initial values. The reduction was fully reversible, since crayfish exposed to 0.5, 1 and 10 mg Cu Lâ 1 for 96 h resumed control rates after a 3-h residence in clean water. In crayfish pre-exposed (96 h) to sub-lethal copper concentrations (0.1 and 1 mg Lâ 1) and then held in control water (3 h), the reduction of heart and scaphognatite rates after exposure to 10 mg Cu Lâ 1 were significantly lower than in specimens pre-exposed to control water. Therefore, copper induces a concentration and time dependent reduction of both cardiac and ventilatory activity in P. clarkii; these responses can be reduced or fully abolished by pre-exposure to sub-lethal levels of the metal.
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Authors
Giada Bini, Guido Chelazzi,