Uso de Mysidopsis juniae na análise da toxicidade dos metais zinco e níquel

Abstract

Over the years, a range of pollutants has been released into the environment, forming complex mixtures and causing damage to the biota. Metals are among the most common pollutants that have a high toxicity effect. The present study aims to assess nickel and zinc toxicity, isolated and in mixtures, using the marine microcrustacea Mysidopsis juniae as a model. Three different protocols were applied: first the acute toxicity tests of metals isolated and in mixtures (10 organisms per jar with 1-8 days of life, triplicate, 96h, lethality assessed by calculating the LC50); second chronic toxicity tests based on growth (5 organisms per jar with <24 hours of life, quadruplicate, 7 days, length and dry weight were the endpoints); and finally chronic toxicity tests based on fecundity effects (5 organisms per jar with 10 days of life, quadruplicate, 7 days, the number of females with eggs was the endpoint). The mixtures data were analysed according to the conceptual models of Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA). The LC50 for zinc and nickel was 0,24 ± 0,02 mg. L-1 and 0,18 ± 0,04 mg. L-1, respectively. The mixtures assays presented acute effect, the additive toxicity to any concentration tested, and the data model best described by CA. The lethality, length and dry weight of M. juniae were affected by chronic exposure to zinc and nickel, exception was the dry weight of nickel exposure that showed no significant difference. The length was the most sensitive endpoint analyzed. On the other hand, the reproductive effects could not be analysed due to the lethality overlapped this parameter in tests. Thus, the metals analyzed presented an additivity pattern which proved to be very sensitive to zinc and nickel, especially when evaluated in the short chronic protocol proposed in this work, which enables the use of the parameters and the specie in future studies.