Chronic Effects of Cadmium and Zinc Mixtures on Flagfish (Jordanella floridae)

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Abstract
Flagfish were exposed to Cd and Zn as individual metals and as mixtures (4.3-8.5 .mu.g Cd/l and 73.4-139 .mu.g Zn/l) through 1 complete life cycle in Lake Superior water (45 mg/l total hardness). Cd and Zn did not act additively at sublethal concentrations when combined as mixtures; a joint action of the toxicants was indicated. Effects on survival showed that the toxicity of Cd and Zn mixtures was little if any greater than the toxicity of Zn alone. Mechanisms of Zn toxicity in this test were similar to those in previous chronic tests of individual metals, indicating that the presence of Cd did not influence the mode of action of Zn. Comparisons between metal residues in fish exposed to each individual metal or to the metal mixtures showed that the uptake of 1 metal was not influenced by the presence of the other.