The acute lethal toxicity of mixtures of cyanide and ammonia to smolts of salmon, Salmo salar L. at low concentrations of dissolved oxygen |
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Authors: | J S Alabaster D G Shurben M J Mallett |
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Institution: | Water Research Centre, Stevenage Laboratory, Elder Way, Stevenage, Herts. SGI ITH, England, U.K. |
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Abstract: | The survival of Atlantic salmon smolts on exposure to constant concentrations of cyanide and ammonia, singly and together, has been measured under laboratory conditions at a concentration of 5 mgl-1 of carbon dioxide. The 24-h LC50 values of cyanide and of un-ionised ammonia, in fresh water, were 0·073 mg HCN l-1 and 0·20 mg NH3l-1 respectively at a concentration of dissolved oxygen of 10 mg l-1, and 0·024 mg HCN l-1 and 0·08 mgNH3l-1 respectively at a concentration of dissolved oxygen of 3·5 mg l-1. In 30% sea water the corresponding values were similar for cyanide but markedly higher for ammonioa. In 80% sea water the values were intermediate between those of fresh water and 30% sea water. Prior acclimation of the fish to the respective toxicant increased the resistance of the fish only slightly to cyanide, but with ammonia the 24-h LC50 was increased between 1·4 and 2-fold after acclimation for 1–3 days to between 0·2 and 0·5 of the 24-h LC50 value. Mixtures of cyanide and ammonia were between 0·6 and 1·25 times as toxic as expected, assuming simple additivity of toxicity. |
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