[Predicting copper toxicity to Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idellus based on biotic ligand model]

A series of 96 h copper acute toxicity experiments were conducted with Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix under different concentrations of DOC [ρ(DOC) 0.05, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 mg · L(-1)]. Higher DOC resulted in a reduction of toxicity, which was in line with the concepts of the biotic ligand model (BLM). It was concluded that the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of LC50 with Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix was 591.2, 157.14 μg · L(-1) and 728.18, 91.24 μg x L(-1), respectively, by the prediction of copper BLM developed for Fathead minnow and Rainbow trout. Based on speciation analysis of biotic ligand model, it was shown that LA50 values of Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were 10.960 and 3.978 nmol · g(-1), respectively. Then the MAD values became 280.52 and 92.25 μg · L(-1) for Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix using the normalized LA50. Finally by searching toxicity data in literature, the MAD values on Ctenopharyngodon idellus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were 252.37 and 50.26 μg · L(-1), successively. This result verified that the toxicity prediction based on biotic ligand model was practical.