The Acute Toxicity of Cadmium to Different Larval Stages of Chironomus riparius (Diptera: Chironomidae) and Its Ecological Significance for Pollution Regulation

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 362 - 366
• Main Authors: Kendall A. Williams, David W. J. Green, Pascoe, David, Deborah E. Gower
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer-Verlag 01-10-1986; Springer
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; Chironomidae; Chironomus riparius; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Environmental pollution; Fresh water; Fresh water environment; Freshwater fishes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Insect larvae; Instars; Larvae; Larval development; Species; Chironomidae; Freshwater environment; Cadmium; Pollutant; Chironomus riparius; Larva; Toxicity; Arthropoda; Insecta; Invertebrata; Diptera; Heavy metal; Acute toxicity
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00379498

Acute toxicity tests using a static-with-replacement testing procedure were carried out with the four larval instars of the freshwater detritivore Chironomus riparius (Meigen). Median lethal concentrations (10, 24, 48 and 96 h LC50's) indicated great differences in sensitivity to cadmium between instars. Larvae became more tolerant with increasing age, the most resistant stage (fourth instar) having a 24 h LC50 of 2,400 mg Cd l-1approximately 950 times greater than the corresponding value of 2.1 mg Cd l-1recorded for the most sensitive (first instar) stage. These observations are discussed in relation to the establishment of water quality standards.