Toxic properties of metals and organotin compounds and their interactions on Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri

Abstract

In the present study toxicity tests were performed in order to determine the toxic properties of four organotin compounds and three heavy metals and to examine the interactive effects of binary metal mixtures on two different test species: the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna and the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. D. magna proved to be more sensitive to metals than V. fischeri. Tributyltin chloride and copper were found to be the most toxic substances on both test organisms. The interactive effects between trimethyltin chloride/copper and trimethyltin/chromium on both test species were investigated and synergistic, additive and antagonistic actions were observed. © 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers.