Studies on the acute toxicity of copper oxychloride for the fish Poecilia reticulata / Estudos sobre a toxicidade aguda do oxicloreto de cobre para o peixe Poecilia reticulata

ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out with the objective of determining the acute toxicity of the fungicide copper oxychloride for the common guppy (Poecilia reticulata), as well as the bioaccumulation of that substance in the fish. In the test of acute toxicity, the guppies of both sexes, with approximately 90 ± 10 mg of weight, were exposed to growing concentrations of the fungicide for 96 hours. The LC50 calculated was 0.1 mg/L of copper oxychloride, corresponding to 0.06 mg/L of metallic copper. In the bioaccumulation test, the fishes were exposed to the concentrations of 0.02 and 0.0006 mg/L of copper for 192 hours, and after transferred to uncontaminated water, where they lasted for 168 hours, in order to observe the capacity of the fishes in depurate the metal. In the test, the copper accumulation was registered in fishes exposed to both tested concentrations, however the metal was totally eliminated only by the fishes exposed to the smallest concentration (0.0006 mg/L).

RESUMO

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar a toxicidade do fungicida oxicloreto de cobre para o peixe guaru (Poecilia reticulata). No teste de toxicidade aguda, peixes de ambos os sexos e com peso médio de 90 ± 10 mg foram expostos a concentrações crescentes do fungicida por 96 horas. A CL50 obtida foi 0,1 mg/L de oxicloreto de cobre, correspondendo a 0,06 mg de cobre metálico/litro. No teste de bioacumulação, os peixes foram expostos a 0,02 e 0,0006 mg/L de Cu+2 por 192 horas e, posteriormente, transferidos para água não contaminada, onde permaneceram por 168 horas, visando à observação da depuração desse elemento pelos animais. Neste teste observou-se que em ambas as concentrações houve acúmulo de cobre, e que o metal foi totalmente eliminado apenas pelos peixes expostos à menor concentração (0,0006 mg/L).