Collected reprints: Abstract 3164
Collected reprints
Abstract
Blust, R.; Bernaerts, F.; Van der Linden, A.; Thoeye, C. (1987). The influence of aqueous copper chemistry on the uptake and toxicity of copper in Artemia. Artemia Research and its Applications 1: 311-323
The effect of organic complexation, salinity, and pH on the uptake and toxicity of copper in Artemia was studied. The results were compared with data on the chemical speciation and lipid solubility of copper in saline solutions.
The uptake experiments took 90 min and the toxicity tests 24h. A computer model was used to calculate the saline solution equilibrium speciation. The lipid solubility of copper was determined in a series of saline/olive oil partition tests.
Complexation of copper by EDTA reduced the uptake and toxicity of copper. Salinity had no apparent effect on both processes. The results of these uptake and toxicity experiments agreed well with the copper speciation and lipid solubility data. The effect of pH on the uptake and toxicity of copper is more complex. The uptake rate is maximal around pH 7.6 and lowest below 7.0. The toxicity increases towards alkaline conditions. These results do not relate to the speciation and lipid solubility data in a straightforward manner.
Possibly two distinct ligands determine the biological availability of copper in solution. Ionized species interact with the charged ligands present on the external surface of cell membranes (i.e. glycoproteins, proteins, polar heads of lipids) and neutral species move across the lipid bilayer by passive diffusion.
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