The potential use of metal ratios in the gills of rainbow trout as biomarkers for acute waterborne copper exposure

TL;DRAbstract

This thesis examined the effects of short-term, acute copper poisoning on the metal concentrations in the gills of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with the aim of developing possible biomarkers under such exposure regimes. The experiments were designed principally to mimic the spillage of high copper contaminants such as industrial or mining wastes into an environment which would flush the contaminant quickly through the water system, resulting in a brief, but acute exposure to copper for the inhabitants of the environment. A variety of water quality conditions were investigated including in fresh and brackish waters, in conjunction with elevated zinc levels in fresh waters and in brackish waters high in dissolved organic carbons. The use of the gill copper concentrations in a ratio to other metals in the gills was investigated for their potential role as biomarkers for acute copper exposure and in fish kills. The depuration rates of metals from the gills were also examined in the

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