Title: Acute and chronic toxicity of copper on aquatic animals of different phylogenesis and ontogenesis
Abstract: The aim of the present study was: 1) to determine acute toxicity of copper on daphnia and medicinal leeches; 2) to investigate chronic toxicity of copper on behavioural responses of the test-objects; 3) to perform a comparative analysis of the sensitivity of test-objects of different phylogenetic level and ontogenesis and their behavioural responses. The acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions using the following test-objects: Daphnia magna and Hirudo verbana juveniles and adults. The sensitivity of all species studied to acute copper toxicity according to 96-hour LC50 for each species was investigated. It was found that the test-objects are the most sensitive to copper at the early life stages. Comparative analysis of the sensitivity of behavioural responses of daphnia and leech revealed that the most sensitive responses to the chronic effect of copper were: mobility inhibition of daphnia juvenile and behavioural responses such as mobility of leeches juveniles. Meanwhile, cluster formation and avoidance response of leeches juveniles were less sensitive to the chronic effect of copper. The data obtained pertain to the sensitivity and specificity of the behavioural responses in aquatic animals at different phylogenetic and ontogenetic levels. In the future it can be successfully used in bioassay testing for the evaluation of the toxicity level of the wastewaters as well as natural waters polluted with heavy metals.
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-03-12
Language: en
Type: article
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