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• Acute toxicity of copper and zinc to three fish species from the Alligator Rivers Region (PDF 336 KB)

About the report

The ninety-six hour median lethal concentrations(96-h LC₅₀ of copper and zinc (in terms of nominal concentrations) for three species of fish were determined by static bioassay using water from Buffalo Billabong (Magela Creek).

The 95% confidence limits of these values for copper (mg Cu/L) were: Chequered Rainbow-fish 0.04-0.26; Black-striped Rainbow-fish 0.10-0.16; and Fly-specked Hardyhead 0.016-0.027. The 95% confidence limits of the 96-h LC₅₀ for zinc (mg Zn/L) were: Chequered Rainbow-fish 4.00-7.40: Black-striped Rainbow-fish 6.3-15.9; and Fly-specked Hardyhead 0.34-1.07. Two experiments were completed with each metal and each species, except for zinc and the Fly-specked Hardyhead where only one experiment was completed. Not all of the copper was present in the ionic form so that the true 96-h LC₅₀ values (in terns of 'available' copper) will be less than that defined. In the case of zinc, where all or the greater part was present in a biologically available form, this problem did not arise. All species tested were an order of magnitude more sensitive to copper than to zinc.