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Quantifying Fish Swimming Behavior in Response to Acute Exposure of Aqueous Copper Using Computer Assisted Video and Digital Image Analysis
Published on: February 26, 2016
Effect of copper on growth of an aquatic macrophyte, Elodea canadensis
Tarun K Mal1, Peter Adorjan, Andrea L Corbett
1Department of Biological. Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, OH 44115, USA. t.mal@csuohio.edu
Abstract:
Elodea canadensis has been proposed as a potential biomonitor due to its wide distribution and apparent ability to accumulate pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. We investigated the effects of copper sulfate on growth in E. canadensis to determine its effectiveness as a biomonitor of copper pollution in aquatic systems and whether growth is a suitable index of sub-lethal stress. Copper sulfate significantly slowed or stopped growth at all concentrations (low: 1 ppm, medium: 5 ppm, high: 10 ppm of copper sulfate) used. Final plant drymass was significantly lower in medium and high copper treatments compared with controls. E. canadensis appears to be very sensitive to copper levels, and may be useful as a biomonitor of copper levels in aquatic systems. However, its utility as a bioaccumulator may be limited, because we observed senescence of most leaves in all copper-treated plants following 4 weeks of treatment.
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