Is Precipitation of Aluminum Fast Enough to Explain Aluminum Deposition on Fish Gills?

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A peristaltic pump was used to mix environmentally realistic concentrations of Al in soft water (14-15.degree.C) with 30 .mu.M base (NH4OH) to simulate the alkalinization which occurs when acidic soft water passes over fish gills. Solutions were filtered under vacuum through 0.2 .mu.m prerinsed filters using a polycarbonate filter apparatus. If final solution pH was .ltoreq.5.3, only about 10% of total Al (159 .mu.g .cntdot. L-1) was filtered from solution. If solution pH was raised from pH 5.3 to pH 5.7 with base, about 35% of Al was removed from solution, 1-4 s after the pH was raised. Similar results were obtained for 335 .mu.g .cntdot. L-1 Al solutions. Production of additional Al retained by filters was fast enough to show that Al accumulation on fish gills may be partly due to polymerisation and precipitation of Al, as Al solubility is reduced in the more alkaline gill micro-environment.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: