Acclimation‐induced changes in toxicity of arsenic and cyanide to rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pre‐exposure of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri to sublethal levels of arsenic or cyanide, resulted in significant changes in the incipient lethal levels of the respective toxicants. Fish gradually increased their tolerance to arsenic (as arsenite) by 47% during a three week preexposure to 0.22 of the incipient lethal level. Mean whole‐body aresenic concentrations increased from 2 to 27 μg g−1 dry weight during the first week, then decreased to a stable level of 15 after two and three weeks. Fish decreased their tolerance to cyanide (as HCN) by 32 and 15% after one and two weeks of pre‐exposure to 0–35 of the incipient lethal level. This initial sensitization disappeared after three weeks. Renal tubular parenchymatous oedema was observed after two and three weeks of cyanide pre‐exposure. Neither arsenic nor cyanide affected growth at these levels of pre‐exposure.