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Reduced lethality of Al, Zn and Cu mixtures to american flagfish by complexation with humic substances in acidified soft waters
Author(s) -
Hutchinson Neil J.,
Sprague John B.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620061005
Subject(s) - soft water , environmental chemistry , total organic carbon , lethality , chemistry , dissolved organic carbon , absorbance , metal , carbon fibers , fish <actinopterygii> , nuclear chemistry , toxicology , organic chemistry , biology , chromatography , materials science , fishery , composite number , composite material
Acute lethality of Al/Zn/Cu mixtures to fry of American flagfish ( Jordanella floridae ) was reduced by factors of 2.1 to 14.5 in water of pH 5.8 from four lakes of the Canadian Shield, compared to lethality in synthetic soft water. Test waters ranged from clear to dark brown but were otherwise similar. LC50s for total Al/Zn/Cu were correlated with several measurements of humic substances in the lakes, including total organic carbon (TOC), absorbance at 310 nm ( A 310 ), color, and Secchi depth. Dialysis techniques showed that toxicity of Al and Cu was reduced by complexation with high‐molecular‐weight (MW) (> 1,000) humic substances in the colored water. Zn was present mainly as low‐MW forms and effects of complexation on its lethality were not resolved. Regressions predicted that survival of early life‐stages of fish is doubtful in acidified, soft‐water lakes containing less than 2.2 mg/L of TOC or in which A 310 <0.016. Changes in trace‐metal lethality associated with TOC were greater than those associated with changes in total hardness.