Cadmium toxicity, accumulation and metallothionein induction inechinogammarus echinosetosus

Abstract

The responses of Echinogammarus echinosetosus to experimental cadmium exposure were analyzed. The LC50–96 hr for cadmium in this crustacean was 0.48 mg/L. Cadmium content reached a maximun of 18 μg/g after 48 hr of treatment to 200 μg Cd/L resulting in a calculated concentration factor of approximately 70. An increase in MT content was recorded in E. echinosetosus after 24 hr of cadmium exposure (100 μg/L). The high sensitivity this species shows to cadmium in comparison with other crustaceans may be due to a very low effectiveness in MT induction by cadmium (9 μg/g) and a moderate concentration factor which results in a low molar MT/Cd ratio (2×10^‐3) in the cytosolic fraction.