Open AccessAcute Toxicity of Ammonia and Nitrite to Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei , at Low Salinities
Author(s) -
Schuler Dominic J.,
Boardman Gregory D.,
Kuhn David D.,
Flick George J.
Publication year - 2010
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.1749-7345.2010.00385.x
Subject(s) - litopenaeus , shrimp , biology , fishery , nitrite , ammonia , white (mutation) , shellfish , fish <actinopterygii> , aquatic animal , ecology , biochemistry , nitrate , gene
This study was conducted to determine the individual and combined effects of ammonia and nitrite on Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae (25‐ to 45‐d old PL) at 10 ppt salinity, 28 C, and a pH of 7.8. The independent variables were salinity, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), and nitrite nitrogen (NO 2 ‐N). The TAN experiments were conducted at 18 and 10 ppt salinity, and the NO 2 ‐N test was conducted at 10 ppt salinity. Combined TAN and NO 2 tests were also conducted at 10 ppt salinity. The 48‐h lethal concentration (LC 50 ) values for TAN at 18 ppt salinity, TAN at 10 ppt salinity, and NO 2 ‐N at 10 ppt were observed to be 42.92, 39.72 (2.26 and 2.09 mg/L unionized ammonia‐N), and 153.75 mg/L, respectively. When NO 2 ‐N was adjusted to the lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) level and TAN concentrations were varied, synergistic effects were observed, with a 48‐h LC 50 calculated to be 28.2 mg/L TAN (1.49 mg/L unionized ammonia‐N). However, when the ammonia level was adjusted to the LOEC and nitrite was varied, antagonistic effects were observed with a 48‐h LC 50 calculated to be 163.3 mg/L NO 2 ‐N. This study demonstrated that the combined toxic effects of ammonia and nitrite need to be considered when developing standard operating procedures for shrimp culture.