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The direct effects of a tropical natural humic substance to three aquatic species and its influence on their sensitivity to copper

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Abstract

Few studies have been conducted so far into the effects of humic substances (HS) on aquatic organisms and their influence on the toxicity of chemical pollutants in the tropics. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the direct effects of locally-derived tropical natural HS on the cladoceran Daphnia similis, the midge Chironomus xanthus and the fish Danio rerio. The influence of a HS concentration series on the acute toxicity of copper to these organisms was also assessed through laboratory toxicity testing. The HS did not exert direct acute effects on the test organisms, but long-term exposure to higher HS concentrations provoked a stress response (increase in feces production) to D. rerio and exerted effects on chironomid adult emergence and sex ratio. The biotic ligand model proved to be a useful tool in converting total copper concentrations to the appropriate bio-available fraction to which tropical aquatic organisms are exposed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Brazilian government through the Special Visiting Researcher program (MEC/MCTI/CAPES/CNPq/FAPs reference 402392/2013-2) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) CT-Hidro process number 142481/2004-1. We also acknowledge the support from the Portuguese government (Foundation for Science and Technology - FCT) through a postdoc grant for the last author (SFRH/BPD/109199/2015) and the research unit CENSE (UID/AMB/04085/2019).

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  1. NEEA/CRHEA/SHS, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos, 13.560-970, Brazil

    Domingos S. Barbosa, Danilo S. Barbosa & Evaldo L. G. Espíndola

  2. Environmental Technology and Management Laboratory (LTGA), Federal University of Mato Grosso, Av. dos Estudantes 5055, Rondonópolis, 78735-901, Brazil

    Domingos S. Barbosa

  3. Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR), Rodovia PR 323, km 310, Umuarama, 87.507-014, Brazil

    Danilo S. Barbosa

  4. CENSE, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Quinta da Torre, Caparica, 2829-516, Portugal

    Michiel A. Daam

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Barbosa, D.S., Barbosa, D.S., Espíndola, E.L.G. et al. The direct effects of a tropical natural humic substance to three aquatic species and its influence on their sensitivity to copper. Ecotoxicology 28, 550–558 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-019-02031-3

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