| Abstract: | Some aspects of the influence of copper speciation on toxicity for blue-green algae are reviewed. The experimental part concentrates on Oscillatoria redekei and Aphanizomenon gracile. The two investigated species produce strong extracellular copper complexing ligands: Oscillatoria redekei in the exponential and stationary growth phase, and Aphanizomenon gracile has a distinct detoxification capacity. The detoxification of copper by synthetic agents was investigated using ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid. Simultaneous addition of Cu2+ and Na2EDTA gives evidence for a slow complexation reaction. Hence an excess of Na2EDTA is necessary for a fast and complete detoxification of copper. Model calculations are reported to show that the precipitation of copper compounds is not probable under the conditions used. |
