How lethal concentration changes over time: Toxicity of cadmium, copper, and lead to the freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus

Metal pollution is a serious threat to environmental health. While the aquatic isopod Asellus aquaticus L. (Isopoda) is an important decomposer of freshwater ecosystems, very little research has reported its long-term or incipient lethal concentrations for metals. Moreover, the lethal concentrations at a certain percentage (LCxs) that can be found in the literature are often based on unmeasured concentrations, which could lead to a severe underestimation of the actual toxicity. In the present exploratory study, the 1-, 4-, 7-, and 14-d LC10, LC20, and LC50 values of copper, cadmium, and lead for adult A. aquaticus were determined. The LCx values were calculated using the nominal concentrations, the effective concentrations, and the free ion activities. Incipient lethal values were determined as well. In general, surprisingly lower lethal concentrations were found than in other studies. Furthermore, the present study shows that lethal concentrations based on free ion activities were generally much lower than nominal and effective concentrations. Although almost all LC values were higher than the environmental quality standards (EQS), the Cu 14-d LC10 and several (incipient) Pb LC10 and LC20 values, all calculated with free ion activities, were lower than the EQS. We conclude that lethal or effective concentrations based on free ion activities provide a more realistic view, which is vital for environmental policy making. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2849-2854. © 2017 SETAC.