Toxicity of copper to Porcellio scaber Latr. (Isopoda) under different nutritional status.

Abstract

Isopods are members of the soil fauna important in decomposition. Their role in the decomposition of leaf litter in forest soils has been reported for many years. Isopods are reported to contain high concentrations of cooper in their haemolymph (70 mg/ml) and in hepatopancreas (216 mg/g d.w.) (Gunnarson and Hedlund 1987). The role that copper plays in the physiology and ecology of terrestrial isopods was first examined in detail by Wieser, Dallinger and Dallinger and Wieser. Furthermore, Wieser and Wieser et al. showed that copper concentrations of terrestrial isopods reflect the degree of environmental soil and litter contamination. In the last decade, pollution of the environment with heavy metals has led many environmental scientists to search for suitable methods to monitor distribution and effects of such pollution. Laboratory tests using terrestrial isopods are recommended for assessing the ecotoxicological effects of chemicals. Isopods are able to accumulate large amounts of several metals in their hepatopancrea therefore they are useful biological indicators of metal pollution. Because of its worldwide distribution and the high metal accumulation capacity, Hopkin et al. proposed that Porcellio scaber could be a suitable {open_quotes}bioindicator{close_quotes} of metal contaminated soils. 25 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.