Effects of copper on the physiological responses of the commercial crab Lithodes santolla (Decapoda: Anomura) larvae (original) (raw)
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Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology, 2019
The importance of trace elements in ecotoxicological investigations is a well-known issue when monitoring polluted areas such as commercial harbours. Copper represents one of the most common metal contaminants, often detected in these areas as it is widely employed in various fields and has many sources of inflow in the marine environment. Pachygrapsus marmoratus is a widespread intertidal crab species that has been extensively studied in ecology, ethology and population genetics. Ecotoxicological studies have also been performed, exclusively on the adult stage. In the present study we investigated the mortality and biochemical (oxidative stress and neurotoxicity) responses of P. marmoratus larvae exposure to environmental relevant concentration of copper. Results showed dose-dependent responses in terms of larval mortality, with a calculated LC50 value of 0.5 mg/L of Cu 2+. The LC50 concentration was used as the starting point for subsequent biochemical response evaluation. Results also demonstrated dose-dependent activation of antioxidant systems assuming a compensatory antioxidant activity to prevent higher cellular damage when larvae were exposed to the highest concentrations of copper. Moreover, a significant enhancement of neurotransmitter activities was observed, assuming a possible direct interaction of copper with the enzymes or an increase of free copper ion aliquot into the cells.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2001
Ovigerous females of the estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulata were exposed to 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 3 mg/L of copper during the egg incubation period. Regarding egg loss, a higher effect was observed at higher copper concentrations: 80% of the females lost their eggs at 0.5 mg/L, whereas no hatching was seen in those exposed to 3 mg/L. A significant decrease was found in the number of hatched larvae in females exposed to 0.5 mg/L, as was a significant decrease in the duration of the incubation period. In addition, several morphological abnormalities were seen and observed. Hydropsy and atrophy of the dorsal spine, pleon, and maxillipeds occurred at the higher copper concentrations, as found in previous studies with other pollutants. Hyperpigmentation of the cephalothorax and pleon was the only abnormality observed at every concentration assayed. Hypopigmented eyes were also evident. This pathology showed that among all defects observed at 0.5 mg/L, hypopigmented eyes had the highest incidence and might be a specific response to copper.
Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability
Bahía Blanca is an estuarine environment with a very particular behavior, which includes a large tidal plain with an area close to 1150 km 2 , a relatively small input of inland water, and with several marginal areas that seasonally function as hypersaline. Mud is predominant in the sediments, where a significant population of the crab Chasmagnathus granulata lives during the whole year. There are several cities along the estuary as well as important harbors and a large industrial nucleus which discharge their effluents within this environment. Cu and Zn concentrations were determined in samples of water (for both dissolved and suspended particulate matter) and surface sediments (total and <63 _m fractions). Organic matter was analyzed in the sediments, while temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were measured in the estuarine water.
Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability, 2003
Bahía Blanca is an estuarine environment with a very particular behavior, which includes a large tidal plain with an area close to 1150 km 2 , a relatively small input of inland water, and with several marginal areas that seasonally function as hypersaline. Mud is predominant in the sediments, where a significant population of the crab Chasmagnathus granulata lives during the whole year. There are several cities along the estuary as well as important harbors and a large industrial nucleus which discharge their effluents within this environment. Cu and Zn concentrations were determined in samples of water (for both dissolved and suspended particulate matter) and surface sediments (total and <63 _m fractions). Organic matter was analyzed in the sediments, while temperature, salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen were measured in the estuarine water. The metal concentrations determined in this study were: 16.01 ± 1.85 g Cu g-1 and 52.96 ± 5.67 g Zn g-1 in surface sediments; 111.05 ± 42.78 g Cu g-1 and 105.66 ± 19.16 g Zn g-1 in the <63 g surface sediment fractions. While the concentrations in suspended particulate matter were 35.61 ± 9.77 g Cu g-1 and 205.03 ± 70.68 g Zn g-1 , and 4.65 ± 2.27 g Cu L-1 and 15.82 ± 6.14 µg Zn L-1 in dissolved fraction. Furthermore, dissolved Cu was similar than the quality criteria concentration, while Zn was lower than the norms for marine and estuarine waters (4.8 g L-1 for Cu and 90.0 g L-1 for Zn, USEPA, 1999). Simultaneously, the effects of Cu and Zn were studied on recently hatched larvae of C. granulata, through 96 hours semi-static acute assays. Viability was the applied criterion within the assays. LC 50-96h for Cu was 219.2 g L-1 (188.9-248.9 g L-1), whilst that for Zn was 172.1 g L-1 (141.3-203.6 g L-1), which demonstrates that Zn is more toxic towards larvae. Finally, both LC 50-96h values determined for Cu and Zn were higher than the corresponding metal concentrations measured in the Bahía Blanca environment.
Environmental Science & Technology, 2005
Temporal and spatial measurements of the toxicity (EC 50), chemical speciation, and complexation capacity (Cu-CC) of copper in waters from San Diego Bay suggest control of the Cu-CC over copper bioavailability. While spatial distributions of total copper (Cu T) indicate an increase in concentration from the mouth toward the head of San Diego Bay, the distribution of aqueous free copper ion (Cu-(II) aq) shows the opposite trend. This suggests that the bioavailability of copper to organisms decreases toward the head of the bay, and is corroborated by the increase in the amount of copper needed to reach an EC 50 , observed for larval stages of three marine invertebrates (Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus, and purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), and by the increase in Cu-CC heading into the head of the bay. The amount of Cu(II) aq required to produce a 50% reduction in normal larval development (referred to here as pCu Tox) of the mussel, the most sensitive of the three marine invertebrates, was generally at or above ∼1 × 10-11 mol L-1 equivalents of Cu (i.e., pCu Tox ≈ 11)-(log [Cu(II) aq ])). These results suggest that the copper complexation capacity in San Diego Bay controls copper toxicity by keeping the concentration of Cu(II) aq at nontoxic levels.
Mechanisms of copper toxicity in the shore crab, Carcinus maenas
Marine Biology, 1992
The influence of copper(II)chloride on selected key enzymes and metabolites in intermediary metabolism and the energy charge potential of the hyperregulating shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L.) were investigated. Crabs, collected in Odense Fjord, Denmark between September 1989 and May 1990, were exposed to 10 ppm copper(II)chloride, in 10 ppt salinity seawater at 15°C for up to 1 wk. Hexokinase activity was 77% lower in the posterior gills and 60% lower in the midgut gland than in control crabs. Phosphofructokinase activity was reduced in the midgut gland by 82% but was unaffected in the gills. Pyruvate kinase activity was undetectable in the gills of exposed crabs and reduced by 47% in the midgut gland. Citrate synthase activity was depressed by 30% in the posterior gills and unaffected in other tissues. Copper exposure had no apparent effect on tissue cytochrome c oxidase activity. Chela muscle was the only tissue in which copper exposure did not bring about reductions in the enzyme activities tested. As a result of 1 wk of copper exposure the average lactate level increased by 3.5-fold in haemolymph, 9.3-fold in posterior gills and 6.5-fold in midgut gland. The average glucose level was raised by a factor of 6 in the haemolymph, 3.4 in the posterior gills and 1.2 in the midgut gland. Energy charge potential was at a very high level (ca. 0.9) and was unaffected by copper exposure.
COPPER TOXICITY TO LARVAL MERCENARIA MERCENARIA (HARD CLAM
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2002
Preset larval Mercenaria mercenaria were exposed to nominal concentrations of 1 (control) to 495 g Cu/L in artificial seawater and monitored for mortality, activity, development, and metamorphosis in sealed 30-mm plastic petri plates containing 1.5 ml of artificial seawater or toxicant solution. The plastic petri plates sorbed only about 2.6 g/L at any dose and allowed direct observation of larval clams under a light microscope for a period of two weeks; control survivorship was in excess of 60% at 400 h. The dose-response curve for mortality for clams exposed to copper and fed Isochrysis galbana was characterized by survival similar to or better than controls at doses of 5 and 14 g Cu/L, while doses of 7 and Ն29 g Cu/L exhibited mortality greater than controls. Values of lowest concentration at which 50% of the organisms died (LC50) were 62.4, 21.2, and 11.7 g Cu/L, and the lowest observed adverse effect concentration values of 57, 29, and 29 g Cu/L were determined at 48, 96, and 192 h, respectively. In contrast, activity, as judged by swimming, exhibited a typical exponentially decreasing response at these same concentrations. Experiments on the uptake of dissolved copper by I. galbana confirmed literature reports that these algae concentrate copper. Ingesting copper-containing algae was demonstrated to be a source of copper toxicity for larval clams.
The objective of this study was to measure the copper (Cu) concentration in gills of juveniles Litopenaeus vannamei after exposure to Cu at sublethal concentrations, and to evaluate its effect upon the structure of gill tissue. The Cu concentration in gills of control shrimp was 0.075 mg/kg. Copper concentrations increased significantly by 147 %, 180 % and 205 % in gills of shrimp exposed to 0.675, 1.325 and 2.010 mg Cu/L, respectively. After exposure to 0.675 mg Cu/L for 15 days, gill tissue hyperplasia was observed, with a narrowing of the hemolymphatic lacunae. Necrosis and loss of hemolymphatic lacunae were observed at exposures of 1.325 and 2.010 mg Cu/L.