Respiratory changes and stability of haemocyanin—O2 binding capacity in the crab cancer irroratus exposed to Kuwait crude oil in sea water

To determine one possible mechanism of hydrocarbon toxicity, studies were carried out to establish: (a) the availability of hydrocarbons from sea water to the crab haemolymph, (b) the effects on respiration and (c) the possible effects on haemocyanin—O₂ binding characteristics in oiled crabs.Crabs incubated in ¹⁴C-naphthalene labelled oiled sea water (Kuwait crude) readily accumulated the isotope into the haemolymph, in concentrations exceeding those in the surrounding sea water medium with one-hour bioconcentration factors from 2·53 to 23·51. Respiration, as measured by uptake of O₂ from the respirometer sea water, was 12·5% lower in crabs held in 11·0 ppm Kuwait crude/sea water than in the same animals when held in unoiled sea water. Respiration levels returned to preoiling levels when the oiled sea water was replaced with fresh non-oiled sea water.Despite the observed effects of oiled sea water on respiration, the haemocyanin—O₂ binding potential, as well as the structural integrity of haemocyanin (as determined by its UV absorption spectrum, sub-unit dissociation and serum-free Cu⁺⁺ levels), remained unaltered. The results suggest that disruption of blood-oxygen transport via disruption of haemocyanin—O₂ binding as one possible mechanism of hydrocarbon toxicity is unlikely and that other alternatives must be considered.