Evaluation of cadmium toxicity on the population growth of Brachionus plicatilis (O. F. Müller)

Chinnasamy Arulvasu

doi:10.17485/ijst/2010/v3i1.15

Abstract

The effect of heavy metal (cadmium chloride) toxicity on the reproductive bionomics of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis was assessed. Bioassay was performed to obtain sub-lethal concentration of cadmium chloride using different concentrations (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 mg/l) and the LC50 value of B. plicatilis was identified as 0.8 mg/l. Based on the LC50 value, newly hatched neonates were individually culture with five varying concentrations (0.1, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.7 mg/l) of cadmium chloride. The life history parameters, such as time (hour) the rotifer released neonates and life span, were evaluated. These results showed that the population growth of B. plicatilis decreased with increasing concentrations of cadmium chloride. Keywords: Cadmium chloride, life history parameter, heavy metal toxicity, rotifers, B. plicatilis

Highlights

Human activities have always impacted coastal areas
The rotifer B. plicatilis was used as experimental species
2.30 hrs 3.00 hrs 3.30 hrs 4.00 hrs 4.30 hrs 5.00 hrs Results The results from the 24 hour acute toxicity tests showed that cadmium chloride was highly toxic and the LC50 value of rotifer was 0.8 mg/l

Summary

Introduction

In the last two centuries, the effects of industrialization, intensive agriculture and coastal engineering have seriously begun to threaten marine life (His et al, 1999). Most of these impacts have led to environmental pollution. Thousands of aquatic systems are directly influenced by mining, metal smelting and other industrial activities and have been contaminated by potentially toxic trace metals such as cadmium, copper lead, etc., (Pacyna et al, 1995). Trace metals are transported long distances in the atmosphere (Nriagu & Pacyna, 1988), thereby reaching aquatic ecosystems distant from local sources (Fransin et al, 1979; Verta et al, 1986)

Methods

Results

Conclusion