INFLUENCE OF 3 SEDIMENT TYPES ON COPPER TOXICITY TO THE POLYCHAETE NEANTHES-ARENACEODENTATA

Adult male Neanthes arenaceodentata were exposed to 0.10±0.015 mg l-1 copper in the seawater of a continuous-flow bioassay system in the presence of a sand, a mud, a mixture of the sand and mud, and no sediment, to assess the influence of sediment type on Cu-induced mortality. The sediment type did influence mortality. The time to 50% mortality was 7.8 days without sediment, 36.5 days with sand, 54.5 days with the mixture, and 50.0 days with mud. There was no threshold Cu body burden that caused death. The mean Cu concentration per gram of N. arenaceodentata (≤24 h after death) without sediment was 270 μg, in sand 994 μg, in the mixture 1047 μg, and in mud 1464 μg. The differences in the toxic responses are discussed. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.