Toxicity of trace metals

Hickie, B.E., N.J. Hutchinson, D.G. Dixon, and P.V. Hodson. 1993. Toxicity of trace metal mixtures to alevin rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and larval fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) in soft, acidic water. Canad. Jour. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50 1348-1355. 

Soria-Dengg, S. and D. Ochavillo. 1990. Comparative toxicities of trace metals on embryos of the giant clam, Tridacna derasa. Asian Mar. Biol. 7 161-166. 

Sunda, W.G., P.A. Tester, and S.A. Huntsman. 1990. Toxicity of trace metals to Acartia tonsa in the Elizabeth River and southern Chesapeake Bay. Estuar. Coastal Shelf Sci. 30 207-221. 

Table 28.7 Some Factors Affecting Chemical Speciation and Thus Toxicity of Trace Metals in Estuarine and Marine Organisms.

Complexation of metals and trace anions (e.g., phosphate) by humic substances leads to a decrease of toxicity of certain metals toward microorganisms and increases the availability of some metals, but decreases phosphorus resources. At this time, the role of humic substances in reducing the toxicity of trace metals is more clearly understood than the other roles. Adsorption of micropollutants by aquatic humic substances may enhance their toxicity toward microorganisms in many cases. The specific modes of action, however, are mostly unknown. On the other hand, dissolved humic substances may assist in the degradation of organic pollutants. Under environmental conditions, the predominating process is not obvious. 

Smolders, E., K. Oorts, P. Van Sprang, et al. 2009. Toxicity of trace metals in soil as affected by soil type and aging after contamination Using cahbrated bioavaUability models to set ecological soil standards. Environ. Toxicol. Ghem. 28 1633-1642. 

The methods of investigation of metal species in natural waters must possess by well dividing ability and high sensitivity and selectivity to determination of several metal forms. The catalytic including chemiluminescent (CL) techniques and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) are the most useful to determination of trace metals and their forms. The methods considered ai e characterized by a low detection limits. Moreover, they allow detection of the most toxic form of metals, that is, metal free ions and labile complexes. 

As is the case with assessments of the toxicity of dissolved trace metals, the development of sediment quality criteria (SQC) must be based on the fraction of sediment-associated metal that is bioavailable. Bulk sediments consist of a variety of phases including sediment solids in the silt and clay size fractions, and sediment pore water. Swartz et al. (1985) demonstrated that the bioavailable fraction of cadmium in sediments is correlated with interstitial water cadmium concentrations. More recent work (e.g., Di Toro et al, 1990 Allen et al., 1993 Hansen et al, 1996 Ankley et ai, 1996, and references therein) has demonstrated that the interstitial water concentrations of a suite of trace metals is regulated by an extractable fraction of iron sulfides. 

Twiss, M., Errecalde, O., Fortin, C., Campbell, P., Jumarie, C., Denizeau, F., Berkelaar, E., Hale, B., and van Rees, K., Coupling the use of computer chemical speciation models and culture techniques in laboratory investigations of trace metal toxicity, Chem Spec Bioavailab, 13 (1), 9-24, 2001. 

An evaluation of the fate of trace metals in surface and sub-surface waters requires more detailed consideration of complexation, adsorption, coagulation, oxidation-reduction, and biological interactions. These processes can affect metals, solubility, toxicity, availability, physical transport, and corrosion potential. As a result of a need to describe the complex interactions involved in these situations, various models have been developed to address a number of specific situations. These are called equilibrium or speciation models because the user is provided (model output) with the distribution of various species. 

Table 6.5. Reduced partition index (IR) of trace metals in arid-zone soils incubated under saturated paste regime (after Han and Banin, 1997. Reprinted from Water Air Soil Pollut, 95, Han F.X., Banin A., Long-term transformations and redistribution of potentially toxic heavy metals in arid-zone soils. I Incubation under saturated conditions, p 411, Copyright (1997), with permission from Springer Science and Business Media)...

Falandysz, J. 1994. Some toxic and trace metals in big game hunted in the northern part of Poland in 1987-1991. Sci. Total Environ. 141 59-73. 

Jenkins, D.W. 1980. Biological monitoring of trace metals. Vol. 2. Toxic trace metals in plants and animals of the world. Part II. U.S. Environ. Protection Agency Rep. 600/3-80-091 619-778. 

Shacklette, H.T., J.A. Erdman, T.F. Harms, and C.S.E. Papp. 1978. Trace elements in plant food stuffs. Pages 25-68 in F.W. Oehme (ed.) Toxicity of Heavy Metals in the Environment. Part I. Marcel Dekker, New York. 

Murphy, C.P. 1981. Bioaccumulation and toxicity of heavy metals and related trace elements. Jour. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 53 993-999. 

Parent, L., Twiss, M. R. and Campbell, P. G. C. (1996). Influences of natural dissolved organic matter on the interaction of aluminum with the microalga Chlorella a test of the free-ion model of trace metal toxicity, Environ. Sci. Technol., 30, 1713-1720. 

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