US EPA

1346671 

Journal Article 

Non-lethal responses of the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum to dissolved arsenic 

Golding, LA; Timperley, MH; Evans, CW 

1997 

Yes 

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
ISSN: 0167-6369
EISSN: 1573-2959 

BIOSIS/97/30085 

47 

3 

239-254 

eng 

WOS:A1997XU40100002 

BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Two non-lethal responses, avoidance and immobility, were observed for the freshwater gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum on exposure to dissolved arsenic (As) as arsenate (As(V)) or arsenite (As(III)). Two different populations of P. antipodarum, one with a long history of exposure to dissolved As from geothermal fluids and the other with minimal exposure, were compared to test for adaptation to As. Both snail populations avoided dissolved As(III), the more toxic form, at lower concentrations than As(V). As(V), the less toxic form, was avoided by both snail populations at much lower concentrations than those at which the snails became immobile. In contrast, the concentrations of As(III) which caused avoidance were almost the same as those which caused immobility, implying that avoidance may not be an effective response to protect these snails from exposure to As(III). Snails from the exposed population avoided As(V) at about 20% of the concentration that was avoided by 

arsenic; avoidance; behaviour; snails; tolerance