Abstract
Rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, cannulated in the dorsal aorta, were exposed to 2 mgl−1 aluminium (added as Al2(SO4)3, 18H2O) at pH = 5.0 in hard water of very high calcium concentrations (3.3 mmol 1−1). No changes were observed in the concentration of the major plasma ions. The fish, however, became hypoxic, as seen from a fall in the dorsal aortic oxygen tension from around 100 mmHg to 30–40 mmHg, and a simultaneous increase in carbon dioxide tension. Moreover, exposure resulted in a 15% increase in standard oxygen uptake. The ventilation frequency doubled and swelling of the erythrocytes was observed. The results are discussed in the light of some earlier data on the effects of acid/aluminium exposure in water of low calcium concentration, and reveal an important role for calcium in the physiological responses to low pH and aluminium.
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