You are here:
Magnitude of Acute Toxicity of Marine Sediments Amended with Conventional Copper and Nanocopper
Citation:
Parks, A., M. Cashman, M. Perron, L. Portis, M. Cantwell, D. Katz, K. Ho, AND R. Burgess. Magnitude of Acute Toxicity of Marine Sediments Amended with Conventional Copper and Nanocopper. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, 37(10):2677–2681, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4232
Impact/Purpose:
Copper is a well-known toxic metal to marine organisms. In recent years, copper nanomaterials, a very small form of particulate copper, has been incorporated into various consumer products including pressure treated lumber. In this consumer product, the copper nanomaterial serves as a pesticide to slow deterioration of the lumber. Our understanding of the toxicity of nanocopper compared to conventional forms of copper (i.e., copper that dissolves into water) is limited especially for marine systems. However, it is understood that many forms of copper will ultimately accumulate in marine sediments. In the sediments, the different forms of copper may represent a risk to marine organisms. In this investigation, we measured the acute toxicity of several forms of copper (including nanocopper) amended into a marine sediment with mysids and amphipods. For all of the forms of copper tested, toxicity, measured as the LC50, ranged from 708 to > 2400 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for the mysid and 258 to 1070 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for the amphipod. In general, toxicity of the various forms of copper was greatest to the amphipod compared to the mysid suggesting the copper remained in the sediment system and did not transfer into the water column. The results of this study can be used by environmental managers and regulators to determine which forms of copper to avoid using if they may be released into the marine environment.
Description:
It is well known that copper (Cu) is toxic to marine organisms. We measured and compared the acute toxicity of severalforms of Cu (including nanoCu) amended into a marine sediment with mysids and amphipods. For all the forms of Cu tested,toxicity, measured as the median lethal concentration, ranged from 708 to > 2400 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for mysids and 258to 1070 mg Cu/kg (dry sediment) for amphipods.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Magnitude of Acute Toxicity of Marine Sediments Amended with Conventional Copper and Nanocopper