Regulation and Accumulation of Copper, Zinc and Cadmium by the Shrimp Palaemon elegans

Abstract

The ability of Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1937 to regulate internal concentrations of copper, zinc and cadmium has been investigated over a wide range of external metal concentrations. Total body concentrations of copper and zinc are regulated on exposure to dissolved metal concentrations up to 100 pg 1-' metal. Exposure to higher levels of dissolved copper and zinc produces an increase in the metal concentration of the shrimps. Body concentrations of copper may increase by a factor of at least 5 times but only twice the normal body concentration of zinc could be tolerated by the shrimps. Cadmium concentrations are not regulated, the body concentration of metal being proportional to the external metal concentration.