Toxicity of Cadmium, Copper, and Zinc to the Threatened Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Lithobates [Rana] chiricahuensis)

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 679 - 683
• Main Authors: Calfee, Robin D., Little, Edward E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Amphibians; Aquatic Pollution; Cadmium; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Exposure; Frogs; Habitats; Heavy metals; Pollution; Rain; Soil Science & Conservation; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Leopard frogs; Acute and chronic exposure; Cadmium; Copper; Metals; Zinc
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-017-2188-1

The Chiricahua leopard frog ( Lithobates chiricahuensis ) is in decline throughout the western United States, and is particularly sensitive to physical, chemical and biotic changes in their habitat. Acute toxicity tests revealed that among the metals detected in Chiricahua leopard frog habitat, copper was toxic at concentrations lower than those observed in the environment. Developing tadpoles were chronically exposed for 60 days to cadmium, copper and zinc because of the potential for long term exposure to these metals during early development. Cadmium was toxic, but at concentrations above observed environmental levels. Copper was especially toxic to this species at concentrations of about 10% of concentrations observed in their habitats. The onset of toxicity occurred within a few days of exposure, thus pulsed exposures from rain events could potentially be acutely toxic to tadpoles of this species. Zinc did not appear to have a negative impact during the acute or chronic exposures.