Open AccessAcute Toxicity of Copper Sulfate and Chelated Copper to Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus
Author(s) -
Straus David L.,
Tucker Craig s.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1993.tb00170.x
Subject(s) - alkalinity , ictalurus , catfish , copper , sulfate , copper sulfate , chelation , copper toxicity , environmental chemistry , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , chemistry , fishery , inorganic chemistry , metallurgy , materials science , organic chemistry
Channel catfish fingerlings Ictalurus punctatus were exposed to copper sulfate or a commercial chelated copper product in a series of static toxicity tests conducted using waters with a wide range of total alkalinity and hardness values. Estimates of mean 96 h LC50 values were 0.05, 0.73, 0.95, and 0.98 mg/L as Cu for copper sulfate and 0.06, 1.51, 1.97, and 1.74 mg/L as Cu for the chelated copper product in waters having total alkalinities of 16, 76, 127, and 240 mg/L CaCO 3 respectively. On a copper basis, the chelated product was significantly ( P < 0.05) less toxic to fish than copper sulfate in all waters except that of the lowest total alkalinity. Highly significant ( P < 0.01) linear relationships were found between LC50 values for copper from copper sulfate and pH, log [total alkalinity], and log [total hardness], of test waters. These results cast doubt on the validity of the formula commonly used to calculate practical copper sulfate pond treatment rates, which is based upon a simple linear relationship between application rate and total alkalinity.