Cadmium accumulation in the freshwater isopod Asellus racovitzai:: the relative importance of solute and particulate sources at trace concentrations

A stable isotope tracer technique was used to evaluate the relative importance of particulates and water as respective sources of cadmium (Cd) uptake in the freshwater isopod Asellus racovitzai (Isopoda, Crustacea). Cd-113(NO3)(2) was applied to the sediment at a nominal concentration of 20.0 ng g(-1), and Cd-114(NO3)(2) was added to the overlying water (nominal concentration of 4.4 ng g(-1)), in the same test systems. Asellids added were either free-ranging on the sediment surface, where they were exposed to both particulate and water sources of Cd, or were enclosed in dialysis 'tubes', 10 cm above the sediment surface, and were therefore exposed to Cd in water only. By analysis of both isotopes, uptake vectors could be determined simultaneously. After 7 days of exposure, average Cd-114 concentrations in 'free' asellids were 15.6 +/- 2.0 mug/g, compared with 10.4 +/- 1.8 mug/g in 'tube'-held asellids (P < 0.05), i.e. at least 60% of accumulated Cd-114 was from water. Furthermore, water-spiked Cd-114 was accumulated in asellids to tissue concentrations that were more than four-times greater than sediment-spiked Cd-113. When the sediment organic content was increased (20% pear moss), total Cd concentrations in both overlying water and asellids were significantly lower (P < 0.01), compared with the mineral sediment treatments, and Cd accumulation in tube and free asellids was similar. This study shows that water is an important vector of Cd accumulation in A. racovitzai, and factors that lower Cd concentrations in solution (such as increased organic content of sediment), decrease Cd bioaccumulation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.