Use of whole-body and subcellular Cu residues of Lumbriculus variegatus to predict waterborne Cu toxicity to both L. variegatus and Chironomus riparius in fresh water

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 87; no. 11; pp. 1208 - 1214
• Main Authors: Ng, Tania Y.T., Pais, Nish M., Dhaliwal, Tarunpreet, Wood, Chris M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Annelida and closely related phyla: sipuncula. Echiura. Nemertinea; Applied ecology; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Chironomid; Chironomidae - drug effects; Copper - analysis; Copper - toxicity; Critical whole-body residue; Cu toxicity; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fresh Water - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Intracellular Space - chemistry; Invertebrates; Oligochaeta - drug effects; Oligochaete; Subcellular residue; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Subcellular residue; Oligochaete; Cu toxicity; Bioaccumulation; Chironomid; Critical whole-body residue; Chironomidae; Chironomus riparius; Toxicity; Insecta; Fresh water; Annelida; Oligochaeta; Heavy metal; Trace element; Residue; Arthropoda; Whole body; Invertebrata; Biological accumulation; Copper; Diptera
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.01.018

► Critical whole-body residue is constant across water hardness and exposure times. ► Critical subcellular residue is a more sensitive predictor of toxicity. ► Whole-body residue of Lumbriculus variegatus correlates with survival of Chironomus riparius. ► Use of residue in accumulator to predict toxicity to sensitive species is promising. We tested the use of whole-body and subcellular Cu residues (biologically-active (BAM) and inactive compartments (BIM)), of the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus to predict Cu toxicity in fresh water. The critical whole-body residue associated with 50% mortality (CBR50) was constant (38.2–55.6μgg−1 fresh wt.) across water hardness (38–117mgL−1 as CaCO3) and exposure times during the chronic exposure. The critical subcellular residue (CSR50) in metal-rich granules (part of BIM) associated with 50% mortality was approximately 5μgg−1 fresh wt., indicating that Cu bioavailability is correlated with toxicity:subcellular residue is a better predictor of Cu toxicity than whole-body residue. There was a strong correlation between the whole-body residue of L. variegatus (biomonitor) and survival of Chironomus riparius (relatively sensitive species) in a hard water Cu co-exposure. The CBR50 in L. variegatus for predicting mortality of C. riparius was 29.1–45.7μgg−1 fresh wt., which was consistent within the experimental period; therefore use of Cu residue in an accumulator species to predict bioavailability of Cu to a sensitive species is a promising approach.