Effects of acidity, calcium, and aluminium on fish survival and productivity—a review

Howells, G.; Brown, D. J. A.; Sadler, K.

doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740340606

Cited by 65 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…In the review by Howells et al (1983), the importance of Ca in reducing the toxicity of acidity and Al was stressed. These reviewers suggested that lakes of pH 4.5 and 20 µM Ca would be fishless, and that 250 µg · L -1 Al would be toxic.…”

Section: A Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bioavailability and Toxicity of Aluminum in Aquatic Environments

Gensemer

Playle

1999

Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology

633

444

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ABSTRACT:In this article we review the biological effects of Al, primarily with respect to the chemical factors controlling Al bioavailability and toxicity, and how its biological effects are best predicted. Our intent is not to duplicate recent reviews on Al chemistry or toxicity, but rather to update the literature since these reviews were published, and to focus on Al speciation and other external chemical influences on Al bioavailability to freshwater biota. Briefly, we first review Al chemistry, with a specific focus on understanding, as well as measuring, Al chemical species of importance to aquatic biota. Next we more comprehensively review Al toxicity and bioavailability to freshwater algae, with a thorough analysis of the relationships between speciation and toxicity, the role of important chemical complexing agents such as P, Si, and organic carbon, as well as the potential for Al to impact algal community structure. A third section reviews the more sparse literature on aquatic higher plants; the fourth section reviews a somewhat more abundant literature of Al toxicity to freshwater invertebrates. We close with an updated review of Al toxicity to fish, again with a focus on mechanisms of toxicity, and the role of Al speciation in controlling bioavailability.

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Section: A Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bioavailability and Toxicity of Aluminum in Aquatic Environments

Gensemer

Playle

1999

Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology

633

444

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“…Fish mortality has been reported in areas where acid, M-containing water mixes with neutral (limed water) even though the mixed medium typically has a pH above that known to produce toxic aluminium (A1) species (>pH 5.5; Muniz and Leivestad, 1980;Baker and Schofield, 1982;Howells et al, 1983, Verbost et al 1992. In field experiments with Atlantic salmon and brown trout, higher mortality has been observed in the mixing zone (0-20 sec after mixing of water of an acid inlet with that of a neutral lake) than in the acid inlet, which has been attributed to transient products of Al-polymerization (Rosseland et al, 1992;Poleo et al, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The toxic mixing zone of neutral and acidic river water: Acute aluminium toxicity in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

Verbost

Berntssen

Kroglund

et al. 1995

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Abstract. Mixing of acid river water containing aluminium (pH 5.1, AI 345 btg.1 "I) with neutral water of a lake (pH 7.0, A173 p.g.1 "~) resulted in water (pH 6.4, A1 245 p.g.l "x) with a pH (6.4) and A1 concentration (245 p.g.1 "l) expected to have low toxicity to fish on the basis of current AI toxicity models. However, under semi-field conditions the freshly mixed water (a few sec. after mixing) proved to be highly toxic to brown trout. The fish were exposed to the water at different places along a 30 m channel. At the beginning of the channel acid and neutral water were continuously mixed; the mixed water left the channel atter 340 sec. The cells of the gills showed a highly increased rate of cell death by apoptosis and necrosis. Intercellular spaces were enlarged, and many leucocytes penetrated in these spaces. Mucus release was stimulated to depletion. Plasma chloride levels were hardly affected. There was a clear gradient in the deleterious effects on the fish along the channel. The fish at the beginning of the channel (about 12 sec. after mixing of the water), were severely affected, whereas the fish kept at the end of the channel (340 sec. after mixing) were only mildly affected. In the natural situation fish will relatively quickly pass through a mixing zone. In our study we therefore focused on the effects on fish after a 60 min exposure to a mixing zone (5 sec after mixing), with subsequent recovery in a region downstream of the confluence and in neutral water with low AI. The recovery in the downstream area (at the end of the channel, i.e. 5 min after mixing) was clearly hampered when compared to the recovery in neutral water with low aluminium. Thus, a short exposure to the toxic mixing zone followed by a stay in water downstream of this zone, as may occur in nature, is detrimental to migrating trout. We conclude that freshly mixed acid and neutral water contain toxic components during the first seconds to minutes after mixing, that can not be explained by current models on aluminium toxicity.

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“…Acids, and the toxic metals they mobilize, interfere with fish gill function, which in turn reduces fish growth, reproduction, and survivorship, and results in lower fish abundance in more acidic lakes (Howells et al 1983). This is problematic for Common Loons because fish comprise a large portion of the diet of breeding adults and young (Alvo 2009, Evers 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Common Loon Reproductive Success in Canada: the West is Best but Not for Long

Tozer¹,

Falconer²,

Badzinski³

2013

ACE

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ABSTRACT. Reproductive success of Common Loons (Gavia immer) is a powerful indicator of aquatic ecosystem health, especially in relation to mercury and acid precipitation. We examined relationships between Common Loon reproductive success and longitude, year, lake area, and pH across southern Canada using data collected from 1992 to 2010 by participants in Bird Studies Canada's Canadian Lakes Loon Survey. Our goal was to indirectly describe the health of lakes in southern Canada with respect to mercury and acid precipitation. The overall model-predicted number of six-week-old young per pair per year was 0.59 (95% confidence limits: 0.56-0.62). Six-week-old young per pair per year decreased by 0.19 from west-to-east (−127° to −52° longitude), decreased by 0.14 between 1992 and 2010, increased by 0.22 as lake area increased from 10 to 3000 ha, and increased by 0.43 as acidity decreased from pH 5 to 9. The relationships were likely linked to acid-and temperature-mediated exposure to methylmercury and/or acid-induced reductions in forage fish. The temporal decrease

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Effects of acidity, calcium, and aluminium on fish survival and productivity—a review

Cited by 65 publications

References 30 publications

The Bioavailability and Toxicity of Aluminum in Aquatic Environments

The Bioavailability and Toxicity of Aluminum in Aquatic Environments

The toxic mixing zone of neutral and acidic river water: Acute aluminium toxicity in brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

Common Loon Reproductive Success in Canada: the West is Best but Not for Long

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