title: Acute toxicity, respiratory reaction, and sensitivity of three cyprinid fish species caused by exposure to four heavy metals.
abstract: Using 3 cyprinid fish species zebra fish, rare minnow, and juvenile grass carp, we conducted assays of lethal reaction and ventilatory response to analyze sensitivity of the fish to 4 heavy metals. Our results showed that the 96 h LC50 of Hg(2+) to zebra fish, juvenile grass carp, and rare minnow were 0.14 mg L(-1), 0.23 mg L(-1), and 0.10 mg L(-1), respectively; of Cu(2+)0.17 mg L(-1), 0.09 mg L(-1), and 0.12 mg L(-1) respectively; of Cd(2+)6.5 mg L(-1), 18.47 mg L(-1), 5.36 mg L(-1), respectively; and of Zn(2+)44.48 mg L(-1), 31.37 mg L(-1), and 12.74 mg L(-1), respectively. Under a 1-h exposure, the ventilatory response to the different heavy metals varied. Ventilatory frequency (Vf) and amplitude (Va) increased in zebra fish, juvenile grass carp, and rare minnows exposed to Hg(2+) and Cu(2+) (P<0.05), and the Vf and Va of the 3 species rose initially and then declined when exposed to Cd(2+). Zn(2+) had markedly different toxic effects than the other heavy metals, whose Vf and Va gradually decreased with increasing exposure concentration (P<0.05). The rare minnow was the most highly susceptible of the 3 fish species to the heavy metals, with threshold effect concentrations (TEC) of 0.019 mg L(-1), 0.046 mg L(-1), 2.142 mg L(-1), and 0.633 mg L(-1) for Hg(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+), and Zn(2+), respectively. Therefore, it is feasible to use ventilatory parameters as a biomarker for evaluating the pollution toxicity of metals and to recognize early warning signs by using rare minnows as a sensor.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic-Projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem of Ministry of Water Resources, Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China. whj103392@163.com
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Youguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Sixin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002347:Carps / Q000502:physiology; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity*; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000502:physiology; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002413:Cations, Divalent; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D003300:Copper; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc