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Foodborne uptake and sublethal effects of copper and zinc to freshwater snails

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Abstract

Snail habitat selection was strongly influenced in thisresearch by measured copper (Cu) contribution from a powerplant discharge. Laboratory feeding studies showed that thesnail Leptoxis praerosa significantly bioconcentrated Cuwhen fed aufwuchs containing 564 (±269) µg Cu g-1but did not have significant cellulolytic enzyme activityimpairment. No foodborne zinc (Zn) bioconcentration was foundfrom aufwuchs containing up to 20 000 (±18 400) µg Zn g-1. These results suggest that water column Cuconcentrations leading to impairment via feeding mechanismscan be an order of magnitude higher than concentrations causingimpairments via waterborne exposures. Therefore, foodborneuptake might be expected to contribute to toxicity rather thandominate toxicity in most conditions where waterborneconcentrations of metals occur. Changes in food qualityappeared to have a greater overall effect on snail populationsthan foodborne uptake of metals alone. Snail populations took2 years to recover following intensive metal treatment on theplant discharge and subsequent reduction of measured metalconcentrations in both water and aufwuchs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA/OST (4304), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC, 20460, U.S.A

    Donna K. Reed-Judkins

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, State University, AR, 72467, U.S.A

    Jerry L. Farris

  3. Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A

    Donald S. Cherry & John Cairns Jr.

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  1. Donna K. Reed-Judkins
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  2. Jerry L. Farris
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  3. Donald S. Cherry
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  4. John Cairns Jr.
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Reed-Judkins, D.K., Farris, J.L., Cherry, D.S. et al. Foodborne uptake and sublethal effects of copper and zinc to freshwater snails. Hydrobiologia 364, 105–118 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003154422930

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