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Four life stages of freshwater mussels were tested for their sensitivity to copper and a metal-containing effluent. This permitted an assessment of the variability in sensitivity among the life stages in order to identify those stages most threatened in the wild from copper exposure. Glochidia, while held within the marsupia of the adult, the released or isolated glochidia, the encysted glochidia, and the gravid mussel were tested. Little effect on glochidia was detected following 30- day artificial stream exposures of gravid adults to 19.1 ug Cu/L and an effluent containing an average of 23.9 ug Cu/L. Isolated glochidia were killed by copper concentrations ranging from 20-80 ug/L in 24-hour exposures, with sensitivity increasing with hardness and temperature. Encysted glochidia were resistant to exposures up to 400 ug Cu/L. No significant effect on metamorphosis to the stage was detected. This is likely due to the encapsulation of the glochidium by the host fish. Juvenile mussels reduced their activity during 24-hour exposures to copper concentrations as low as 17 to 24 ug/L and concentrations of 30 to 42 ug/L caused mortality. Juvenile mussels and glochidia within the marsupia are probably the two most sensitive stages in the life cycle of the freshwater mussel. Copper pollution will have its greatest impact in the summer, during periods of high water temperature and low flow. / Master of Science

The mode of feeding exhibited by different organisms may influence the form or quantity of copper that is bioaccumulated. This hypothesis has been tested by exposing 2 species of sea cucumbers, Pentacta anceps and Stichopus chloronotus, which possess different feeding modes, to varying concentrations of copper. The digestive tract and body wall were dissected and analyzed for copper concentration using atomic absorption spectroscopy. A trend was present, exhibiting a small dose dependent curve. The results did not show a significant difference between species or treatments. This study indicates that feeding mode may influence the amount of copper accumulated but it could not be concluded because of a small sample size. The model used in this study demonstrated that copper was being actively precipitated out of the water and deposited into sediment. Future studies focusing on pollutant uptake may find this useful when evaluating the role of feeding mode or habitat.

M.Sc. (Zoology) / A number of chemical substances in mining, industrial, agricultural and domestic effluents are likely to contaminate watercourses. These toxicants have a definite effect on all aquatic life, even at sublethal concentrations. Due to the extensive copper mining activities in the Phalaborwa region, there is concern that the sublethal effect of copper might affect the physiology of fish in the Olifants River, Kruger National Park, Transvaal. Copper can be found as an essential micronutrient in nearly all waters, although anthropogenic sources such as metals from mining and planting industries might produce environmental concentrations causing toxic effects to fish. Several effects of exposure to sublethal concentrations of copper have already been reported in fish, In the present study, the blood coagulation, general haematology, osmoregulation and differential white blood cell counts of the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus were investigated after the exposures to sublethal concentrations of copper, for a short-term (96 hours) exposure as well as a long-term (four weeks) exposure in experimental flow through systems, at both 29 ± I°C and 19 ± I°C. After the respective sublethal exposures, changes in the values of blood coagulation, general haematology, osmoregulation and differential white blood cell counts were obtained, to determine the effects of the chosen copper concentrations on the blood physiology of O. mossambicus, at 29 + 10 and 19 ± I°C, respectively. After a photographic observation of blood, during all the phases of coagulation was made, it was evident that the exposure to copper, at both temperatures, resulted in delays of the blood coagulation times as well as decreases in the elasticity of the clots that formed. Copper was found to induce haemophilia at 29 ± I°C and 19 ± l°C. whilst at 19 ± I°C it also induced thrombocytopenia. Thus exposure to copper lead to coagulation defects which caused haemorrhage which can eventually cause the death of these fish...