title: Comparison of the sensitivity of Danio rerio and Poecilia reticulata to silver nitrate in short-term tests.
abstract: The aim of this study is to assess the acute toxicity of silver nitrate in adult zebra fish and adult guppies and to compare the sensitivity of these species to this compound. Silver is a naturally occurring element in our environment and it combines with other elements such as sulfide, chloride, and nitrate. Silver, in the form of silver nitrate, is one of the most toxic metals affecting freshwater fish. Industry, particularly photographical and electrotechnical, is the major contributor of silver that is released into the environment. Tests of acute toxicity were performed on the most common species of aquarium fish, Danio rerio and Poecilia reticulata. Both zebra fish and guppies were exposed to progressive concentrations of silver nitrate; a semi-static method according to OECD 203 was used. In each test series, 6 tests of acute toxicity were conducted, with 10 fish used for each separate concentration and for the control group. The results (number of fish deaths in the individual test concentrations) were subjected to probit analysis (EKO-TOX 5.1 software) to determine the 96hLC(50) AgNO(3) values. The 96hLC(50) AgNO(3) value for the zebra fish was (mean±SEM) 15±0.52 µg/l and for the guppies was (mean±SEM) 17.14±5.43 µg/l. We didn't find any statistically significant difference between the sensitivity of zebra fish and guppies. The results reported in this study are in agreement with LC(50) values published in peer-reviewed literature, and conclude that AgNO(3) is one of the most toxic compounds known to fishery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, CZECH REPUBLIC.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Doleželová
authors.forename: Stanislava
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mácová
authors.forename: Vladimíra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pištěková
authors.forename: Zdeňka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Svobodová
authors.forename: Iveta
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bedáňová
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Voslářová