The accumulation of copper, zinc and cadmium by the amphipod Corophium volutator (Pallas)

In this study, sediment bioassays and behavioural tests were conducted on the marine amphipod Corophium volutator exposed to copper, zinc and cadmium following the standard US EPA/COE amphipod sediment bioassay protocol. The metals affected burrowing behaviour of Corophium in a dose-dependant manner. Corophium survival was higher for all metals when sediment was present than when sediment was absent, although metal body burdens were the same in both cases. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) for Cu, Zn and Cd were inversely related to seawater metal concentrations. When allowed to choose between contaminated and clean sediment presented at small spatial scales, Corophium avoided contaminated sediment, the proportion showing this behaviour increasing with the degree of contamination. When cadmium and zinc were added together, cadmium was less toxic and tissue concentrations were reduced. These results are discussed in relation to possible interaction mechanisms. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.