“Man and Biosphere” — Studies on Sikkim Himalayas. Part 2: Acute Toxity of Mixed Copper-Zinc Solutions on Common Carp,Cyprinus carpio (LINN.)

In batch experiments for 6 to 48 h, individuals of Cyprinus carpio (2 g individual weight) were exposed to mixed solutions of copper and zinc sulphate: pH = 6.3, temperature 15 °C, 6.8 mg/l O₂, 7.1 mg/l Ca²⁺, 0.7 mg/l Mg²⁺. The LC₅₀ for the individual substances on exposures of 24 and 48 h amount to 9.04 and 7.28 mg/l, resp., of Zn and 0.11 and 0.095 mg/l, resp., of Cu. The sum of the biological activity of the two kinds of metal ions is assessed according to MARKING'S index: at low concentrations of the mixed solutions the two metals show an additive effect, at higher concentrations a synergistic effect occurs.     

Acute Toxicity of Some Industrial Effluents in Relation to the Fish Size of Cyprinus carpio (HAM.) and Channa punctatus (BLOCH)

The fish Cyprinus carpio (HAM.) and Channa punctatus (BL.) of the size ranging between 6.0 ± 1.2 cm and 28.0 ± 1.6 cm were exposed to different concentrations of industrial effluents from M/s Punjab Tannery Ltd. (Jalandhar), M/s Spinning Mill Ltd. (Hoshiarpur) and M/s Food Specialist Ltd. (Moga) for evaluating the influence of fish size on the acute toxicity of these effluents. Results indicate that the relative toxicity of the effluents decreased with the increase in fish size from 6.0 ± 1.2 cm to 20.6 ± 1.5 cm. However, for specimens of the size of 28.0 ± 1.6 cm and more, the toxicity of the effluents increased with an increase in fish size. On the basis of the relative toxicity to fish, effluent from Punjab Tannery was found highly toxic and from Food Specialist Industry, the least toxic.     

Toxicity of Interactions of Zinc —Nickel,Copper —Nickel and Zinc —Nickel —Copper to a Freshwater Teleost,Lebistes reticulatus (PETERS)1

The lethal toxicity of mixtures of Zn²⁺ —Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺ —Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ —Cu²⁺ —Ni²⁺ to common guppy at 21£C in hard water (total hardness = 260 mg/l as CaCO₃) was studied under static bioassays test conditions with renewal of the test solutions every 24 h. The heavy metals were tested separately and in mixtures. The 48 h median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀) for individual salts were 75 mg/l Zn²⁺, 37 mg/l for Ni²⁺ and 2.5 mg/l for Cu²⁺. Concentrations were expressed in “toxic units” by taking them as proportions of LC₅₀ values. Experiments showed that in the Zn²⁺-Ni²⁺ mixture, when Ni²⁺ was more in proportion, the toxicity was more than additive. The 48 h LC₅₀ value and 95% confidence limits in the Ni²⁺-Cu²⁺ mixture were 0.684 (0.484 … 0.807) toxic units and the mixture produced more than the additive toxicity (synergism.). The LC₅₀ value and its 95% confidence limits in a Zn²⁺?Cu²⁺?Ni²⁺ mixture also suggested that the mixture was again strictly additive. The results indicate that heavy metallic mixtures would pose a greater toxicological danger to fish than the respective individual metals.     

Occurrence and Chemistry of Zinc in Freshwaters — its Toxicity and Bioaccumulation with Respect to Algae: A Review. Part 1: Occurrence and Chemistry of Zinc in Freshwaters

Zinc is a fairly abundant metal, it has been estimated that zinc represents 0.004 percent of the earth's crust and is twenty-fifth in the order of abundance. Its concentrations in surface waters vary greatly with locality; the highest concentrations of zinc have been observed in areas with acid mine drainage, but zinc enters surface waters in many other ways. Chemical thermodynamic calculations summarized by solubility graphs are given. The zinc solubility may be significantly controlled by stream sediments; Zn concentrations of sediments from various areas are given. Many techniques for extraction from sediments have been developed, they differ in efficiency.